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THE 

FLYING FOX 



AUTHOR OF 

“THE LAGOON OF DESIRE”—“THE ISLE OF 
VANISHING MEN ”—“ FANGS OF 
THE BLUE,” ETC. 


w 


WITH 


ILLUSTRATIONS AND DECORATIONS 
BY 

HOWARD WILLARD 


WAYSIDE PRESS 


1921 





Copyright, 1921 
by 

W. F. ALDER 



All Rights Reserved 

MAR 21 1321 J 


©CIA6U258 



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The passing was but the affair 
of an instant for — 

































The sluggish tide of the Pearl River lazily 
lapped the stone ramparts of the “Bund.” Upon 
it’s breast, huddled like chicks around a mother¬ 
ing hen, the sampans of Ah Poon, each the life¬ 
long home of a family of river people, gathered 
beneath the high flung stern of his great junk. 

Canton, the city of a thousand smells, shook 
off the thrall of sleep. The deserted streets be¬ 
came thronged with hurrying humanity all bent 
upon a hasty breakfast. The coolies rose from 
their cold beds upon the flagstoned alleys and 
doorsteps to stretch their stiffened limbs and 
search among the folds of their dirty sash belts 
for enough copper cash to purchase a warming 
bowl of steaming soup from an itinerant res- 
traunteur, who carried his whole establishment 
suspended from a yoke upon his calloused shoul¬ 
ders. Canton was awake. 

On the river the teeming sampan life awak- 






6 


THE FLYING FOX 



ened. A blue haze hovered over the myriad water 
craft for the women fanned into life the glowing 
warmth of the charcoal fires in the little pottery 
stoves. Yellow babies squalled lustily and in¬ 
fant mothers blithely ignored their offspring’s 
howling and slid overside in the foul waters for 
their morning plunge. 

On the great junk of Ah Foon the blue pellu¬ 
cid mist lifted languorously from a large bamboo 
pipe that protruded through the deck. A gong 
sounded melodiously from somewhere below and 
the coolies lying upon straw mats around the 
decks rose with much chatter and sluiced down 
their bronzed bodies with water dipped from the 
stream in long handled bamboo buckets. 

A mile distant from the “Bund,” within the 
old walled city lay the mansion of the trader. 
A single door set in an otherwise blank wall that 
towered hight above the heads of passersby, was 
the only entrance to the place. Above the door, 
set in jet mosaic upon a slab of mottled jade, was 



THE FLYING FOX 


7 


the emblem of Ah Foon. It was the “chop”* of 
the “Flying Fox,” a great black bat with wings 
outspread, the great vampire bat of the East 
Indies, where Ah Foon and his many fathers be¬ 
fore him had carried on the trading and pearl 
fishing operations that had made the chop of the 
house a power to be reckoned with. For two 
hundred years the house of the Flying Fox had 
controlled the great pearling beds of the East 
Indies and there had been none to dispute their 
claim, for the fathers of Ah Foon had been men 
of iron and had brooked no interference. 

With the coming of the day when the elder Ah 
Foon had gone to his reward amid much cere¬ 
mony and mourning, there came a new regime, 
a new policy, for to Ah Foon the Younger had 
come a great sadness and an unbounded affec¬ 
tion for a foreign devil. 

It had happened when the fleet of sampans 
were hurrying homeward from the pearling 
grounds with much shell and many precious 


•Chop—a sign or trade mark. 



8 


THE FLYING FOX 


stones. Like vultures, the pirates of the south¬ 
ern coast had swooped down upon them and had 
scattered the sampans to the four winds, robbing 
them, murdering and stealing their women. 

Overcome by numbers Ah Foon had fought a 
losing battle and had watched the seizure of 
Voice of Many Blossoms, his idolized wife, and 
Flower of Night, his infant daughter. Scream¬ 
ing curses upon the ancestors of the cut-throats, 
Ah Foon fought to rescue his dear ones but he 
was surrounded. Suddenly a great darkness 
smote him. 

When he awakened he found himself lying 
upon a strange bed. It was a bed the like of 
which he had never before seen. Unlike his own 
in Canton it was wonderfully soft and was cov¬ 
ered with snow-white linen. Bending over him 
when he first opened his eyes he saw a face. It 
was the face of a foreign devil but it smiled in 
brotherly love and spoke only of illimitable 
kindness. 


THE FLYING FOX 


9 


A soft voice spoke to him in the language of 
his fathers. It told him where he was and that 
he was among friends. He was in the bed and 
home of John Dowling, the missionary, located 
in a little seacoast town which the pirates had 
attacked but who had been repulsed, leaving a 
number of their crew prisoners in the hands of 
the local mandarin. 

The sampan of Ah Foon had drifted ashore 
where he was found after the pirates made their 
escape, by a member of the mission who with 
the aid of others had taken the wounded Ah 
Foon to the home of their beloved missionary. 

In the days that followed Ah Foon gained 
strength and a great love. His many wounds he 
bore with stoic indifference while John Dowling 
nursed him back to health. Never before had 
Ah Foon received the thoughtful attention be¬ 
stowed upon him by this kindly, patient, white 
man. He learned that the missionary was to be 
transferred to Canton and Ah Foon was glad. 


10 


THE FLYING FOX 


In Canton he thought that he could repay the 
little man for his kindnesses. 

One day while he was sitting upon the little 
flower-laden porch of the home of the mission¬ 
ary, he saw a long black ship swing around the 
point of the headland across the bay. It was a 
British destroyer come to demand punishment 
for the pirates lately captured. In the day that 
followed a young and very business-like officer, 
decked in a natty white uniform arranged 
with the Chinese governor for the execution of 
the nine culprits he had captured. The gover¬ 
nor did not wish to punish these men, for their 
master had sent word of a large ransom for them 
but the white officer wished for no delay and 
ordered the thing done immediately. The long 
black guns of the battleship were pointing di¬ 
rectly at the governor’s house and he was 
afraid. He ordered the execution. 

Many sailors came from the ship to mingle 
with the people of the town and witness the be¬ 
heading. With their hands securely tied behind 


THE FLYING FOX 


11 


them, the prisoners filed out into the courtyard 
of the *yamen to their doom. 

The stalwart executioner came with shining 
sword to do his duty. He took a great pride in 
his work. He passed the great sword around for 
the people to heft and to examine. He was very 
proud. 

Chen Wing, the leader of the pirate crew, 
chafed at the delay. He spat in disgust at what 
he considered unbecoming vanity of the execu¬ 
tioner. He was a Chinese, a leader. He would 
show these white men how a Chinese could die. 

“Bah,” he said in guttural Cantonese, “cease 
this showing off, and get along with your busi¬ 
ness.” 

He spat again, this time on the feet of the 
executioner. 

The executioner wheeled upon him in anger. 

“Kneel, son of a thousand pigs,” he roared, 
“and join the rotting carcasses of your fathers.” 

•Yamen—space within the walls of the headquarters of the 
governor. 



12 


THE FLYING FOX 


He seized the sword from the hand of one of the 
sailors. 

Chen Wing Knelt as bidden, his face wreathed 
in a sardonic smile. There was a whirring swish 
of the swift falling blade that flashed like a band 
of silver light, a crackling smack and the head 
of Chen Wing leaped from his shoulders to roll 
almost to the feet of the wondering onlookers. 

The executioner wiped the blade with calm 
vanity. It had been a clean stroke. 

On the other side of the town, Ah Foon, in the 
house of John Dowling listened to the childish 
prattle of the motherless three-year-old Jane, 
whose great dark eyes looked into his with un¬ 
questioning confidence. She held out her arms 
to him to be held upon his knee and he smiled 
and lifted her to his lap. It was the beginning 
of a life-long companionship. A week later the 
junk of Ah Foon anchored in the bay. When 
it departed for Canton it carried the owner and 
John and Jane Dowling. 


TEE FLYING FOX 


13 


Passed three happy years. John Dowling 
worked among the people of Canton with untir¬ 
ing energy. Came the grievous affliction of the 
repellant black plague which moved like a 
reaper’s scythe throughout the swarming pop¬ 
ulace. Worn out by his labors among the strick¬ 
en people, his frail body succumbed to the 
scourge and was piled along with many others 
on one of the pyres of the necropolis outside the 
city walls. 

Ah Foon was untouched by the stalking death. 
When the sickness crept upon him the missionary 
called Ah Foon to him and intrusted to his care 
his only earthly possessions, little Jane and his 
much thumbed leather covered Bible. 

Ah Foon’s eyes lighted with joy for he had 
come to love the little white skinned girl as his 
own. He took Jane to the mansion guarded by 
the emblem of his House. When Jane was car¬ 
ried through the narrow doorway she became the 
adopted daughter of the Flying Fox and was 
called Quai Fa, which is Chinese for Flower of 


14 


THE FLYING FOX 


Kindness, in memory of the nature of her father. 

As she grew in mind and body, the memory 
of his wife and own daughter faded in the dim¬ 
ness of the past and Ah Foon loved Jane, the 
Flower of Kindness, with an all-consuming ten¬ 
derness. His happiest hours were spent in the 
azalia shaded courtyard of the mansion where 
Quai Fa played the table harp for him, or told 
him of funny things that happened in the house¬ 
hold. When he was at home they were insepar¬ 
able. Fearful lest some injury befall her, Ah 
Foon never allowed her to go outside the garden 
wall. From the time she became his daughter, 
she saw nothing of the outside world until she 
reached her eighteenth year. 

Her beauty was the talk of many households 
and many were the proposals of marriage that 
Ah Foon had for her. These he put aside angrily, 
saying: 

‘ 6 This is the daughter of my white brother. 
It is not good that blood be mixed.” 

Then he would fall silent in fearful contem- 


THE FLYING FOX 


15 


plation of the time when she should feel the 
mating call within her breast. With a sigh he 
would put the dark thought from him and would 
call her, fondle her with great tenderness, his 
eyes wonderfully soft with love of her. 

At these times Quai Fa sensed that he had 
something on his mind that worried him. Her 
intuition told her that, and she would caress him 
and by her girlish gaiety, lure him from the 
depths of his depression. Happy was the House 
of Ah Foon. 

***** 

With the passing of the years the fame of the 
beauty of Quai Fa travelled afar and the fre¬ 
quent allusions made to her were a source of 
worry to Ah Foon. Never was she allowed to go 
unattended from the precincts of the house. 

Gathered for their yearly meeting, the Guild 
of the Beggars came to Canton. It was their 
wont to collect tithes from the merchants and 
wealthy men of the city. Seldom were they re¬ 
fused. Some of their number waited upon Ah 


16 


THE FLYING FOX 


Foon to collect the yearly offering and one of 
these, a youth of her own age cast amorous eyes 
upon Quai Pa who was in the garden with her 
father when the beggars entered. 

Ah Poon caught the look and in anger bade 
the crew begone. They left the garden without 
the usual generous gift, without understanding 
the reason for it’s being withheld. They hur¬ 
ried to the hovel which was their headquarters 
where, with much chatter and denunciation they 
told their chief of the insult to their fraternity. 
Lo Fang heard the story with narrowing lids. 

“The tithes shall be paid,” was his comment. 

With this thought in mind he dismissed the 
others from the room, calling, after they had 
left, a meeting of his fellow chiefs to find a 
means of enforcing payment. After lengthy ar¬ 
gument they arrived at a conclusion. They would 
wait their time. When suitable opportunity ar¬ 
rived Quai Pa, the Flower of Kindness, would 
be spirited away. They would hold her for ram 



som. 




THE FLYING FOX 


17 


Gee Foo, who sat in the shade of the Great 
Wall casting the dust of the roadside upon his 
head, thus to excite the sympathies of on¬ 
lookers, was sent to watch the doorway of the Fox 
to spy upon the household and report the goings 
and comings of Quai Fa. 

With her first absence from the house un¬ 
attended would fall the blow. Grief then, would 
shroud the household and many taels would find 
their way from the coffers of Ah Foon to the 
treasury of the beggars. 

With the blooming of the azalias came the 
Feast of the Lanterns and the palatial temple of 
Mng Po was made ready for the festivities. The 
priestly scribes gathered from afar to write 
prayer papers for the faithful. The gong with¬ 
in the temple, mellowed in tone by slow march¬ 
ing centuries, boomed it’s sonorous appeal, call¬ 
ing all to the worship of their fathers. Within 
the homes of the wealthy there was much feast¬ 
ing and the gardens were gay with lanterns. 

As the servants made ready the spacious gar- 



18 


THE FLYING FOX 


dens of her home, Quai Fa listened to their gos¬ 
sip. They had been to the temple to watch it’s 
furbishing for the ceremony of the morrow. 
Closely Quai Fa questioned them, her eyes wide 
with wonder at their tales of splendor, her heart 
throbbing with desire to see the ceremony. 

She hastened to her father with a plea to be 
allowed to go. Ah Foon sat in thoughtful si¬ 
lence for a moment then gravely shook his head. 
The space within the temple walls was small. 
There would be tens of thousands at the temple 
to watch the ceremony. It was not good that 
Quai Fa, his daughter, rub elbows with the poor 
and needy. 

“No, my daughter, it is not well that you 
should go,” was his reply. 

Quai Fa drooped her head and pouted. Few 
were her requests that were ungranted. Appeal¬ 
ingly she raised her eyes to those of Ah Foon 
who looked at her in sadness as he again shook 
his head. Quai Fa turned from him with tears 
in her eyes to go to her bower in the corner of 


THE FLYING FOX 


19 


the garden where she forgot her disappointment 
for a time, as she fed Tao, her pet goldfish, who 
took the crumbs of rice cake she offered, from 
her fingers. 

On the opposite side of the city, on the 
Shameen, where live the foreign devils, sat a 
young white man under the grateful coolness of 
an electric ceiling fan. He was on the hotel 
veranda and gazed with bored apathy at the 
street life on the “Bund” opposite, across the 
narrow canal. 

A cigar drooped from his listless hand, it’s 
vaporous blue smoke scattered by the draught 
of the fan overhead. Bruce Denton’s thoughts 
were as scattered as the smoke. 

“So this is China,” he ruminated. “The land 
of romance and mystery,—Humph, I’ve got an¬ 
other name for it. All I’ve seen is dirt and 
squalling naked brats. I’ll never get a thrill 
out of this country,—I guess I’ll beat it.” This 
last he said aloud. 

It was overheard by a casual friend who had 


20 


THE FLYING FOX 


just stepped out on the veranda from the bar¬ 
room. 

4 4 Decided to heat it, eh ? Why the haste ? You 
haven’t been here a week.” 

Bruce raised the cigar to his lips and bit the 
end off of it savagely. 

“Yes, I’m going from here,” quoth he. “I 
had China all doped out as a land where a fel¬ 
low could get some kick out of life, but let me 
tell you, old man, it’s only one colossal smell.” 

“Have you ever been over to the walled city?” 
inquired his friend. 

“Yes, once,” answered Bruce. “That was 
enough. Nay, Roderick, I’m on my flitting way, 
believe me.” 

“You may find something of interest there in 
the city tomorrow. They tell me that Ning Po 
temple is all dolled up for the Feast of the Lan¬ 
terns and as it only happens once a year—it’s 
usually quite some party.” 

Denton’s eyes opened slightly at this and his 


THE FLYING FOX 


21 


apathetic face lighted with some semblance of 
animation. 

“ Whereabouts is this aforesaid temple ?” he 
inquired. 

“I’ll be hanged if I know, but your chair 
coolies can take you there—all you have to do 
is to tell them. I wouldn’t miss this if I were 
you—I hope to be able to get over there tomor¬ 
row myself.” 

“Thanks, I won’t,” Bruce replied, as his 
friend swung off: the veranda and started down 
the driveway. To his parting, “I’ll see you to¬ 
morrow,” Bruce answered, “Yes,—so long.” 

Within the hotel the dressing gong boomed a 
dissonant summons; Bruce rose with languid 
reluctance to obey the stern mandate of all far- 
eastern hotels. 

“This dolling up in ‘soup and fish’ for dinner 
every night is sure the bunk,” he quoted to him¬ 
self as he entered the lift to go to his room and 
his afternoon bath. 

In the House of the Fox, the dreams of Quai 









22 


THE FLYING FOX 


Fa were of a splendrous temple where great 
warriors and beautiful ladies strolled in the 
shade of the fragrant azalias. When she awak¬ 
ened in the morning these visions of her sleep 
came to her anew, and by mid-forenoon she had 
summoned enough courage to put into action the 
plan that she had formed. It was her first di¬ 
rect disobedience to her father’s wishes, and 
though fearful of his displeasure her mind was 
set. She would see the Temple and the Feast of 
the Lanterns. 

Ah Foon was away for the day, gone to in¬ 
spect his new yacht, for of late ill reports were 
coming from the islands. Li Chang, his twin 
brother, and to whom Ah Foon had intrusted 
the management of the pearl fishing fleet, had 
been running things with a high hand. The new 
yacht was designed by Ah Foon for flying trips 
to and from the islands, that he be able to take 
more active part in the management of his great 
pearling fleets. On this day was the yacht ready 
for her trial, her shining engines were attuned 


THE FLYING FOX 


23 


to their greatest effort, for the contractors had 
promised Ah Foon a speedy boat. At noon were 
the yellow waters of the river to be churned 
into mad frothing by the two great screws of 
the new “Sui On.” Great was the pride of Ah 
Foon in his new cruiser. 

With her mind decided Quai Fa called her 
servants to her and ordered her chair. At first 
she was met with almost tearful refusal for they 
loved her, but dared not incur the wrath of Ah 
Foon, whom they knew would not sanction her 
leaving unattended. Quai Fa stamped her foot 
petulantly and demanded by what right her ser¬ 
vants dared disobey the command of their mis¬ 
tress. Fearfully, they brought her the chair 
which she entered like a queen. 

“I wish to be taken to the Temple,” she told 
them. “And make haste.” 

As her coolies jogged along their voices lifted 
in sing song cadence, warning those who choked 
the narrow thoroughfares of the coming of the 
daughter of Ah Foon and the way was cleared 


24 


THE FLYING FOX 


before them. The people of the streets gazed in 
pleasurable surprise as the golden chair passed, 
for tales of the beauty of Quai Fa had travelled 
far and the chop of the Flying Fox emblazoned 
on it’s sides was known and revered throughout 
the city. 

In the hovel of the Guild there was great ex¬ 
citement, for Gee Foo, the watcher by the gate, 
had brought the news. Quickly were the hatchet 
men dispatched to the gates of the temple. 

As her chair progressed, the narrow streets 
became almost impassable with the great throngs 
that were going to the Temple. The shrill bab¬ 
ble of their voices rose in a very avalanche of 
sound. Finally the way became so choked that 
progress was impossible and the way was fur¬ 
ther blocked by the chair of a foreign devil, in¬ 
extricably entangled in the milling human vor¬ 
tex. 

After what seemed hours to Bruce he arrived 
at the gate of the Temple where the ear tortur¬ 
ing din of the discordant gongs and cymbals 


THE FLYING FOX 


25 


combined with the soul shattering shriek of the 
shrilling fiddles, became maddening. 

The din, which to the celestial ear was sweet¬ 
est harmony, was to him a torture and he covered 
his ears to shut it out, at the same time shouting 
to his coolies to take him to a quiet place. In the 
lane his chair opened through the chattering 
mob, the coolies of Quai Fa found egress also and 
soon they entered a quiet street far from the pre¬ 
cincts of the temple. Here, her coolies broke 
into a trot for by this route it was a long way to 
the house of Ah Foon. As her chair passed that 
of Bruce they gazed at each other for the mo¬ 
ment, blankly, in surprise. Quai Fa in wonder 
at the strange handsome face and queer gar¬ 
ments of the boy. He, in amazement at the beau¬ 
tiful white girl in modish Chinese garb. The 
passing was but the affair of an instant for Quai 
Fa’s coolies were moving at a sharp trot, anxious 
to get their little charge home in safety. Bruce 
leaned back in his chair the victim of conflicting 
emotions; one of these was to follow her and find 


26 


THE FLYING FOX 


out who she was. Her chair was now some dis¬ 
tance ahead and he gazed after it in wonder and 
speculation. As he gazed he saw something that 
made him sit bolt upright in his chair. Far 
down the road there was a crowd of beggars 
which as her chair came abreast of them became 
a blurred mass of struggling bodies. 

His coolies broke into hoarse cries of surprise 
and anger and he urged them to a dead run to the 
melee. As he neared them he sprang from the 
chair and silently went into action. His hard 
fists smacked viciously upon the snarling faces 
of the beggars, who, taken by surprise, were for 
the moment paralyzed. Then with wild yells 
they turned from the chair coolies and rushed 
Bruce enmasse. 

“Oh! what a bird of a shindig this is going to 
be,” chuckled Bruce through closed teeth. “By 
way of introduction I present this with my com¬ 
pliments,” remarked Bruce smilingly, as his 
right smashed with the impact of a mule’s kick 
into the demoniac face of the nearest Chinaman. 



THE FLYING FOX 


27 


With the blow the street rose up with unaccount¬ 
able celerity and smacked the shaven poll of the 
beggar who immediately lapsed into deep slum¬ 
ber. Then suddenly the air rained fists—it was 
lurid with fists—fists that came from everywhere 
and always landed somewhere, somewhere where 
they hurt the most. 

Bruce revelled in the glory of it, until one by 
one the beggars gave up fighting this whirlwind 
of a foreign devil and disappeared. As the dust 
of battle cleared away Bruce looked around the 
street for more worlds to conquer. 

‘ 4 Humph! just when I begin to get into action 
they all beat it.” 

He gazed with a grin at his own chair coolies 
who regarded him in wondering awe. Then he 
looked at his fists. They were a sorry mess. 
From his fists his eyes lifted to where he had 
last seen the chair of the mysterious white girl. 
It was nowhere to be seen, and his eyes dropped 
again to his bleeding fists. 


















28 


THE FLYING FOX 


‘‘If it were not for these two bunged up 
babies,” and he looked at the fists in compassion¬ 
ate regard, “it would all seem like a dream to 
me. It will take six dollars worth of iodine,” 
quoth he, “to put the twins into shape again.” 
He fished out a broken-backed cigar from his 
pocket as he said it. As he lighted it his eyes 
caught sight of something on the ground and he 
stooped to pick it up. It was a lady’s fan. He 
spread it and gazed in wonderment at the design 
he saw upon it,—it was the i ‘ chop ’ ’ of The Flying 
Fox. As he handled the dainty thing, opening 
and closing its ivory leaves there diffused about 
it a subtle perfume the like of which he had 
never before experienced. Vainly he tried to 
classify it. 

There was an indefinable, intangible sweetness 
surrounding that fan that conjured at once the 
lurking sadness of the tuberose and the aura of 
all China’s mystery. He strode to his chair and 
stepped into it, placing the fan in his inner coat 


THE FLYING FOX 


29 


pocket, telling the coolies, 44 Let’s get from here, 
playmates, I would visit the hotel.” 

The coolies upon hearing the word “hotel” 
lifted the chair upon their shoulders, commenced 
their chant and jogged away. 

Within the hour Bruce emerged from the 
British dispensary, his knuckles nut brown with 
iodine. His face was clouded with perplexity 
and as he stepped upon the veranda he was 
greeted by his friend of yesterday who asked if 
he had visited the temple. 

i ‘ I sure did ’ ’ was Bruce’s reply. ‘ ‘ And I want 
to say that yesterday, I lied. I said I was going 
to beat it—but I was dead wrong,—there’s a cer¬ 
tain person I’ve got to find out something about 
in this mans’ town and I am just the little sleuth 
that can do it.” 

“What’s it all about,” came the question. 

“Aha! That’s the secret,” rejoined Bruce as 
he turned to go inside,—his hand feeling for the 
fan. His friend saw the movement and added 
jokingly. 


30 


THE FLYING FOX 


“It isn’t anything that affects the old pump¬ 
ing station, is it?” 

Bruce flushed slightly and answered. 

“Nope, the old heart is still hitting on all four, 
but you never can tell . 9 9 This, as he slid through 
the open door. 

In the garden of Ah Foon, Quai Fa told the 
story of her thrilling adventure to Tao, in 
breathless excitement. She confided to Tao how 
the wonderful, strange young man who was so 
unbelievably handsome sprang to her rescue and 
drove the thousands and thousands of bad coolie 
men away from her. Her lonely little heart 
found happiness in the thought of this strange 
man and Quai Fa fell in love. Tao lost interest 
in the tale and sulked in the bottom of the crystal 
bowl. After upbraiding him for his disinterest 
she went to her couch beneath the azalias where 
with head resting upon her little porcelain pil¬ 
low, she fell asleep. 

In the late afternoon Ah Foon returned from 
the river. The Sui On surpassed his fondest 




THE FLYING FOX 


31 


hopes and he was in happy mood. In his sleeve 
pocket he carried a present for Quai Fa which 
he planned to give her in lieu of the visit to the 
temple he had denied her. He found her asleep 
and stood watching her, the while fumbling in 
his sleeve. Quai Fa was dreaming. She was 
dreaming of a strange white face that had been 
indelibly impressed upon her heart in one fleet¬ 
ing instant. Though in slumber, her sweet face 
was wreathed in a smile and Ah Foon’s eyes 
lighted with his love for her. He sat down on 
the divan at her feet. 

With the act she awakened. As their eyes met 
Ah Foon drew from his capatious sleeve a golden 
bracelet, which as Quai Fa raised her arms 
he slipped upon her left wrist. With a little cry 
of pleasure and thankfulness she gazed at the 
gift for the moment speechless in her admiration 
of the bracelet which was of solid gold and very 
heavy, then drawing her feet underneath her, 
with arms outspread, she leaped upon Ah Foon 
and showered him with caresses. 


32 


THE FLYING FOX 



They both were unaware of the silent ap¬ 
proach of Fong, one of the servants. Fong was 
the oldest member of the household. Faithfully 
had he served Ah Foon the elder and had 
watched the growing up of the son, Ah Foon, 
with loving eyes. Quai Fa he idolized. Come 
now to call them to the evening meal he was loth 
to interrupt them in their happiness and he 
watched them for the moment, his wrinkled old 
face wreathed in a paternal smile. Soon Ah 
Foon discovered him and looked at him in 
laughter, pointing him out to Quai Fa and ask¬ 
ing her if she were not ashamed to be seen in 
such prodigal abandonment. To this Quai Fa 
replied not a word, but rising from the divan, 
catching one of Ah Foon’s hands in hers she 
dragged her father to where Fong stood and 
clasping his hands in hers, the one over which 
the bracelet had slipped down from the wrist, 
she dragged them playfully into the house. 

As they entered the dining place which was on 
a balcony overlooking the garden, one of the un- 



THE FLYING FOX 


33 


der servants brought the basin filled with warm 
scented water and two hot towels. After dipping 
their hands into the basin they dried them on the 
towels, then went to the table and sat down to 
their evening meal, with Fong in silent attend¬ 
ance. As the meal progressed Ah Foon told her 
of the new yacht, of its great speed and lavish 
appointments, and Quai Fa listened in raptur¬ 
ous attention. 

Outside, trotting down the noisesome street, 
his bare feet making no sound on the cobbled 
roadway, came a messenger. As he neared the 
doorway of Ah Foon he stopped and, after 
searching in the folds of his broad sash, brought 
forth a red envelope which he handed to the 
keeper of the door. Bidding him wait on a seat 
in front of the devil gate, that high partition 
just within the doorway of every Chinese home, 
and by virtue of which one must take a cir¬ 
cuitous path in entering, which bad devils can¬ 
not do, the keeper carried the missive to his 
master. 


34 


THE FLYING FOX 


Ah Foon opened the red envelope and read the 
note without change of expression though to him 
it contained ill news. Dismissing the bearer of 
the note curtly he resumed his dinner unruffled. 
News had come from Lucipara. It was a letter 
from his twin brother who, much to Ah Foon’s 
disquietude, boasted of having wiped out the 
pearling fleet of one foreign devil, Clarke by 
name, together with many of his men. In times 
before Li Chang, his twin, had resorted to vio¬ 
lence, like their fathers had before them, only to 
bring upon his head the wrath of Ah Foon who 
councilled less harsh methods. 

Times had changed and foreign governments 
frowned upon such overt acts. But it was not 
wholly on account of this that Ah Foon coun¬ 
cilled other methods. In years before he had 
tasted the bitterness and sorrow that fighting 
brought. Ah Foon was a merchant, a trader in 
pearls, and bloodshed was a thing not in his 
ken. 

“As soon as the Sui On could be provisioned 


THE FLYING FOX 


35 


he would go to Lucipara and stop, once and for 
all, this spilling of blood,” he murmured to him¬ 
self. Also, would he take Quai Fa for life would 
be very dull without her. 

Together they rose from the table and went to 
the garden, where under the soft light of an 
orange lantern she lulled his anger at Li Chang 
with the piquant music of her table harp. The 
nightingales in the trees above them listened for 
the moment then swelled their little throats in 
song. Ah Foon’s troubles vanished in the magic 
of the moonlight and the song. 

On the roof of the Victoria, high above the 
noise of the city where the blatant orchestras of 
the myriad restaurants tried to outdo each other 
with their soul racking din, Bruce Denton 
nursed ten sore knuckles and an all consuming 
desire to find the mysterious white girl who car¬ 
ried herself with the air of the dowager empress. 

“Lord! Wasn’t she wonderful! Her skin 
was like white satin tinged with rose—and her 
eyes! Such eyes!” he murmured to himself. 


36 


THE FLYING FOX 


Reaching into his inner pocket he drew out the 
little fan. 

The faint perfume that seemed to float around 
it and somehow did not seem to really come from 
it, seemed to him as intangible and as sweet as 
the girl of the golden chair. Possibly it was the 
perfume or perhaps the moon that had some¬ 
thing to do with it, or maybe it was both, for at 
that moment Bruce realized, willy-nilly, that he 
was in love. As the thought came to him he sat 
up with a start saying to himself: 

44 Ye Gods! B. D. you are going nutty, you see 
a girl once and the old pumpin’ station goes 
pitty pat—Oh, but Lord wasn’t she beautiful! 
I’ll find that little lady tomorrow, and whether 
the governor likes it or not, we will make dear 
old Mater, Madame.” With the thought Bruce 
rose and strode up and down the broad platform 
on the roof. 

It was the first time he had ever really lost 
his heart and he felt light, buoyantly light, and 
the subtle perfume of the fan scented the air 


THE FLYING FOX 


37 


about him like dew-kissed honey-suckle; bore¬ 
dom was gone. He became inexpressably happy 
in his contemplation of her beauty and the 
sweetness of the little oval face that had burned 
itself into his consciousness a few short hours 
before. 

Long into the night Bruce sat in the little per¬ 
gola on the Victoria roof. The hush of satiety 
had long mantled the noisy city below him when 
he arose to go. With one last glance at the red 
and green lights of the shipping on the river and 
a long speculative look, punctuated with a kiss 
wafted to her, somewhere in the city, he slowly 
went down stairs. Bruce was profoundly in 
love. 

Bruce overslept and rose late. After a 
hasty bath and a still more hurried breakfast, he 
summoned his chair-coolies to go to the walled- 
city. He showed the fan to the coolies, and ask¬ 
ed them if they could find the owner. One 
glance at the chop of the Flying Fox emblazoned 
on its surface was sufficient. With vehement 


38 


THE FLYING FOX 


nods they told him to get into the chair, and made 
off. Thirty minutes later, they set the chair 
down in the roadway before the doorway of the 
Flying Fox. Within the garden, Quai Fa lay 
day-dreaming on her couch. She was dreaming 
of her hero who was fighting a great fire-breath¬ 
ing dragon, weaponless, and laughed as he 
strangled it into submission. 

After a moment’s hesitation outside the door¬ 
way, Bruce rose from the chair and entered, to 
be challenged at the devil-gate by the keeper, 
who turned Bruce away, as he had done many 
tourists in the past, thinking him to be a mere 
curiosity seeker. No word had come to the house 
of Ah Foon of the events of yesterday, for to 
her chair-coolies Quai Fa had commanded for¬ 
getfulness under pain of dire punishment, and 
they, fearful of Ah Foon’s wrath, kept silent. 
The keeper of the gate was obdurate, and waved 
Bruce angrily away. Reentering the chair, he 
told his coolies to move on. 

The way led down the narrow street along the 


THE FLYING FOX 


39 


garden-wall of the house of Ah Foon. It was a 
busy thoroughfare. Bruce wanted quiet and 
time to think. As they came to the street end 
of the wall, Bruce saw that it turned down one 
side of a narrow lane overhung with willows. 
The lane was deserted, for on both sides it was 
flanked with blank walls. On the right were the 
walls of Ah Foon’s gardens. On the left were 
the walls of the government yamen. Telling 
the coolies to take him down the lane, he re¬ 
solved to sit there and have a quiet smoke,—to 
figure out his next move. 

Midway down the lane, he bade the coolies let 
him down, and leaned back in the chair to study 
the situation. He gazed with speculative in¬ 
terest at the ten-foot wall on his right. Some¬ 
where within those walls was his heart’s desire. 
As he gazed, a wild idea gripped him. He would 
get inside those walls. Giving no thought to the 
consequences, he made up his mind. He would 
scale that wall. He called the coolies to him, and 
in spite of their determined warnings, which he 


40 


THE FLYING FOX 


angrily deprecated, made them place the chair 
upright upon its end, against the wall. With 
the coolies steadying the chair, he clambered to 
the tiled top of the wall. 

As his head and eyes cleared its top, he gazed 
around the spacious gardens in wondering sur¬ 
prise. Before him was a celestial paradise, and 
just beneath him, slumbering on a teakwood 
couch, inlaid with pearl, lay the lady of his 
dreams. She was asleep. Bruce almost stopped 
breathing. He could hear the thumping of his 
heart so plainly that he thought it surely must 
awaken her. 

She was exquisitely beautiful. Her long dark 
hair was drawn tightly over her little head and 
braided down her back, and over her ear, fast¬ 
ened to her hair, there glowed a freshly-cut crim¬ 
son hybiscus. As he looked at her, drinking in 
every line of her beautiful face, Quai Pa smiled 
slightly and stirred in her sleep. She was 
dreaming of him and his conquest of the dragon.- 
Bruce could restrain himself no longer. He 


As he looked at her Quai Fa 
stirred in her sleep . 







































































































. 






























* 






















































- 





















































































































































































































. 








































, 















































THE FLYING FOX 


41 


reached out and plucked an azalia-bud from the 
tree which grew near the wall, then, after a 
moment’s hesitation tossed it to her, striking her 
lightly on the face. Quai Pa wakened with a 
start and looked up. Her eyes met those of 
Bruce. They opened wide in wonder and her 
face became wreathed with a glad smile. 

“I was just dreaming of you,” she said naively 
in Chinese. Bruce did not understand. 

“Do you speak English'?” he queried. 

“Oh, yes,” she replied, “I study English every 
day, and French too.” 

“What is your name,” he answered. 

“My name is Quai Fa in Chinese.” 

“What is it in English'?” Bruce returned. 

“Flower of Kindness,” said Quai Fa. 

“Flower of Kindness—what a beautiful 
name!” Bruce murmured to himself, continuing 
aloud, “I want to see you. Can’t I come in and 
talk?” 

Quai Fa looked around the garden in fearful 
speculation. She realized that this would never 


42 


THE FLYING FOX 


do, for her father never allowed her to be alone 
with anyone. As she looked, she saw Fong ap¬ 
proaching with a pot of tea. No one must see 
her visitor, for she knew that, should he be dis¬ 
covered, steps would be taken to hide her from 
the foreign devil. 

44 You must go quickly for Fong is coming!” 

Bruce gazed in the direction that she was look¬ 
ing, and through the thick-growing shrubs in the 
garden saw a figure moving. 

44 I will come back tomorrow,” he whispered, 
4 4 Goodbye, Flower of Kindness, until to¬ 
morrow.” 

4 4 Goodbye, my warrior-man, but please come 
to me again,” she whispered. 

Bruce dropped down behind the wall just in 
time to escape being seen by Fong. The coolies 
made the chair ready for him, and he stepped 
into it like one in a dream. 

4 4 Goodbye, my warrior-man, but please come 
to me again,” ran through his brain in a burn¬ 
ing stream of bliss. 


THE FLYING FOX 


43 


“Oh, she does care for me, she does care for 
me!” he sang to himself. “She wants to see me 
again. Well, she will see me again. Flower of 
Kindness. She’s the dearest little thing in the 
world! Gee whiz, but I’ll make her happy some 
day.” 

The coolies lifted the chair and bore him 
down the lane, without his being aware of the 
fact. They listened to him as he hummed gladly 
to himself, with knowing smiles, for the Chinese 
loves romance. 

Bruce did not become aware of externals un¬ 
til they were in the center of the seething 
business section of the city. The chair was 
stopped abruptly, for the street at this point 
was crowded with a jostling throng of people 
which effectually blocked it. Close beside 
him was the entrance of a great jewelry 
store, and as he looked into it, Bruce conceived 
of an idea—he would buy her a token of his love. 
With youthful impetuosity, he leaped from the 
chair and disappeared through the wide door- 


44 


THE FLYING FOX 


way of the shop. Ten minutes later, he came out 
again with the air of one very much satisfied 
with the way things were going. 

In his pocket-book, taking the place of many 
Honkong dollars was a diamond-studded locket, 
and dainty neck-chain of purest gold. This, he 
planned to take to the hotel, there to insert 
within it the head cut from a kodak picture of 
himself, across which he intended writing the 
words “I love you.” Then, he went back to the 
hotel where he was content to sit alone and just 
think. Nothing mattered now. Nothing else 
counted but his love. The hours dragged on 
leaden feet, for tomorrow morning was a long 
way off, but Bruce was happy. 

Where just two days previous, life had been 
a terrific bore, it was now well worth the living. 

“Gee, but it’s great to be in love!” he mur¬ 
mured to himself. 

To Quai Fa in the garden, life became a won¬ 
drous thing. Quai Fa, although she did not 
know it, had been lonesome, there had been 


THE FLYING FOX 


45 


something lacking, and now that void was filled. 
The heart hunger that had smoldered within her 
now broke into leaping flame and she sang with 
the joy of it. 

At times, her sweet face saddened, when some 
bad goblin conjured up a thought that her war¬ 
rior-man might not come again, but her faith 
gave this the lie, and her smile bloomed again. 
She gave to Tao the innermost secrets of her 
heart, and he became jealous, and took to sulk¬ 
ing in the bottom of his crystal home when she 
approached, for, before the coming of the white 
man, Tao had enjoyed the fullest warmth of her 
affections. 

Quai Fa noticed the change in his demeanor 
and upbraided him. Her little heart was burst¬ 
ing with joy and she felt that all should share 
her happiness. 

Down on the busy river, the “Sui On” lay 
beside the wharf, glistening in her new white 
paint with Ah Foon in daily attendance, person¬ 
ally supervising the fitting up of her cabins. 


46 


THE FLYING FOX 


One of these he set apart for Quai Fa, spending 
many taels upon its decoration. It was a 
boudoir for a princess, for Ah Foon’s love of her 
knew no bounds. Within the week, the “Sui 
On” would leave the yellow waters of the river 
to breast the sapphire seas of the Southern Is¬ 
lands. Then would come the reckoning with Li 
Chang, his brother. Ah Foon desired not pearls 
that were bought with blood. 

His supervision of the work of outfitting the 
new boat kept him on her until late in the after¬ 
noon, and it was not until the shadows of the 
garden were becoming violet in the soft twilight 
that Ah Foon sought out Quai Fa in her favorite 
nook. She was playing a love song, softly, on the 
harp. 

Quai Fa was in a dreamy mood, her eyes half 
closed, humming the air gently as the little bam¬ 
boo hammers rose and fell in her tapering hands. 
Ah Foon gave no warning of his coming for his 
felt soled shoes made no sound upon the close 
cropped grass. He stopped to listen, for Quai 




THE FLYING FOX 


47 


Fa was playing with the inspiration of her love. 
Never had Ah Foon heard her play so beauti¬ 
fully. 

It was the witching hour. That momentary 
pause that, cheating nightfall of a moment when 
the sun has set, awakens the evening breezes, 
stirring into low whisperings a chorus of myriad 
voices: The hour that Ah Foon loved most of 
all, for he loved to people it with fancies which 
come only with this hour of repose. As the soft 
melody of the love song stole into his soul, the 
twilight came to him with new meaning and he 
became dimly conscious that this was the mating 
hour of Day with Night; that soon he, in the 
afternoon of Life, would enter the shadows. 
The tender thing singing the love song to which 
he listened, was in the morning of her life, and 
that while he entered the shadows, she would 
enter the gladsome light of full mid-day. 

With the coming of the thought that he must 
die and leave her alone, uncared for, Ah Foon 
became panic-stricken. In the love song that 


48 


THE FLYING FOX 


she played, he somehow sensed the heart-hunger 
of the girl, that would not be denied. Many 
times, when transient thoughts of this had come 
to him, he had passed them off, but now, coming 
upon her suddenly, his subtle Chinese brain 
sensed the mating-call and he was afraid. 
Slowly the idea formed that he must find a son 
worthy of her love and, of heirdom to his for¬ 
tune. At that moment, Quai Fa was again as¬ 
sailed by that ever-conscious latent fear that 
Bruce would not come to her again. She stopped 
playing, lost in a transport of doubt. Like pearls, 
two great tears welled into her eyes and ran 
down her cheeks, her little heart bursting with 
love-longing. As she ceased playing, Ah Foon 
shook off the gloom of his foreboding, and gently 
went to her. She raised her face to him, moist¬ 
eyed and tremulous. 

Ah Foon gathered her into his arms, tenderly 
questioning her sadness, and carried her up and 
down the garden snuggled against his breast, her 
arms around his neck, her head resting on his 


TEE FLYING FOX 


49 


shoulder. He was at a loss to find a reason for 
her unhappiness and he questioned her, but Quai 
Fa fearful, both at having disobeyed him and of 
the hurt she knew it would bring to him, held 
silence. 

He sought to comfort her by telling her of the 
coming trip on the new boat to the Islands, and 
Quai Fa became gripped with a blank despair, 
for she knew that this would separate her from 
her lover, and she refused to be comforted. At 
a loss to know what ailed the child, Ah Foon 
promised her many gifts to lure her from her 
sadness. Slowly Quai Fa’s face brightened, and 
Ah Foon breathed again. As they ate the eve¬ 
ning meal, he gave her glowing accounts of the 
Islands and the strange people that she would 
see. He told her of the pearling boats, and, so 
graphic was his description, Quai Fa listened 
with rapt attention. 

But when the meal was over, and her father 
was engaged in lengthy discussion with some 
of his lieutenants, Quai Fa crept to her apart- 


50 


THE FLYING FOX 


ment to be alone with her thoughts of Bruce. 
Her dreams that night were of a great boat that 
had wings that carried her away from Bruce 
despite his efforts to rescue her, and she wakened 
unrefreshed at daybreak, eager to be in the 
garden to wait his coming. 

As the hour of his coming drew near, Quai 
Fa sent the servants from her saying that she 
wished to be alone. She lay upon the divan lis¬ 
tening for some sound indicating his approach 
and soon she heard the scraping sound he made 
in clambering up the wall. In coquettish spirit, 
she feigned being asleep, watching him through 
half-shut lids. Bruce had the locket and chain 
in his hand; the locket open. This, he tossed 
into her lap, calling her softly as he threw it. 
She caught the locket with one hand as it was 
slipping to the ground and looked at it with a 
little cry of glad surprise. 

“You must wear it for me always,” he told 
her. This she promised to do, and suited the 
word to the action by putting the thin gold chain 


THE FLYING FOX 


51 


around her neck, and dropping the locket which 
she snapped closed, down inside her heavy black 
silk jacket, where it rested snugly against her 
heart. 

Anxious to know more of her, he drew from 
her the story of her life, but found therein 
something that he could not explain. She said 
her father’s name was Ah Foon, but of her 
mother, she could tell nothing. Perplexed, but no 
whit the less in love, he pondered on her parent¬ 
age. He noted that her eyes were straight, and 
that her hair was long and of a deep red-brown, 
and not the coarse jet-black of the true Chinese. 
As they talked, his infatuation grew, and he told 
her of himself, and of the great land from which 
he had come. 

Three days followed with three happy meet¬ 
ings, each of longer or shorter duration, accord¬ 
ing to the comings and goings of the servants, in 
which they tried to plan a means of winning Ah 
Foon’s sanction for their courtship. Bruce was 
for going to him direct and staking all upon the 


52 


THE FLYING FOX 


open avowal of his love. This, Quai Fa would 
not sanction, for she feared that All Foon might 
in anger put an end to the happy meetings, and 
she counciled patience. She would find a way, 
she promised. 

Came the evening of the day of the last visit. 
Ah Foon came into the garden to find her, his 
rotund face beaming in happiness. All was in 
readiness. The “Sui On” was lying in mid¬ 
river with throbbing boilers, under full steam. 
Calling her servants to him, he bade them gather 
up the things she would need upon the voyage, 
and take them to the cruiser. To Quai Fa, he 
said, “We shall have dinner tonight, on board 
the “Sui On”, on our way to Honkong and the 
Islands. In ten days, we shall be in Ambon and 
you shall see the great pearling fleets at work.” 

Taken by surprise, she answered nothing, 
shocked into numbed fear of losing Bruce. i ‘ She 
must get him word,” she told herself, and tell 
him she was going. “But how to reach him?” 

After a moment’s thought, during which Ah 


THE FLYING FOX 


53 


Foon, his mind busy on the details of getting 
away, turned to give directions for the servants 
during his absence, she decided to leave Bruce a 
note. 

While her father was busy with his affairs, 
she stole into the house and, taking a brush and 
slab of ink from the great table on which he did 
his writing, she wrote Bruce of her going and 
begged him not to forget her, for she surely 
would return. Of her love she wrote with 
charming naivette. Sealing the missive in a 
long, narrow envelope in which she also placed 
a jade medallion given to her on one of her birth¬ 
days by Ah Foon, Quai Fa went directly to the 
garden wall, where Bruce was wont to talk to 
her. 

Standing upon the divan, she reached up and 
placed it on the wall, secure in the knowledge 
that he would find it on the morrow. An hour 
later found her at the dinner table on the Sui 
On, half enjoying, half fearful of, the strange 
sensation of the movement of the boat. She and 


54 


THE FLYING FOX 


Ah Foon sat upon the deck late into the night 
as the staunch cruiser plowed its way down the 
broad, winding channel of the river. 

That night, a strange oppression as of some 
foreboding or presentment of evil came to Bruce. 
He strove to shake it off, without avail, and he 
went to a sleepless bed. In the morning, 
he started for the city before the accus¬ 
tomed hour, and throwing caution to the winds, 
climbed the wall much before the appointed time. 
The divan was deserted. The whole garden 
seemed to have a desolate aspect. It was as 
though its life were gone. He could hear the 
servants chattering at their duties, though none 
of them were in sight. He climbed a little 
higher, the better to see the whole of the grounds, 
and his hand, in reaching for a firmer hold, 
touched the envelope which lay upon the inner 
angle of the tile coping. Quickly he seized and 
opened it. The jade medallion slipped from it 
into his hand. He turned it over and over, spec¬ 
ulating on its meaning. 


THE FLYING FOX 


55 


He had learned, during his stay in China, of 
the meaning of jade. To the Chinese it is em¬ 
blematic of repose and constancy. He tore the 
envelope down its length, and drew from it the 
note. As he read it, black despair engulfed him, 
and he slid down to the ground in agonized dis¬ 
may. Quai Pa had told him to await her return. 
She had not told him of her destination. His 
hands were tied. He had no means of ascertain¬ 
ing wither she was bound. 

He folded the note, and put it, together with 
the medallion in his pocket book, lighted a 
meditative cigar for solace, saying to the coolies 
the one word, “Hotel.” 

These had come to hold a great liking for him. 
for he paid them well and they respected him for 
his prowess as a fighter and were solicitous for 
his success in the wooing of Quai Fa. As Bruce 
stepped into the chair, they exchanged covert 
speculative glances, for they knew by his de¬ 
meanor, that something had gone wrong. He 
went back to the hotel to sit and await her re- 


56 


THE FLYING FOX 


turn through days that passed, snail-like, in 
their progress. 

Among the guests that came and went, Bruce 
found a few interesting people, but one of these 
interested him more deeply than the others. 
This was a pearl and diamond buyer, Jacobs, by 
name, who had to tell, many reminiscences of his 
travels. He had just returned from the Islands 
where he had been seeking pearls. Now he was 
come to Canton to complete his purchases. 

As Bruce listened to the tales of the pearling 
fleets, he was seized with the desire to visit these 
gem-beds of the seas and taste the romance of the 
life. He learned that two weeks would suffice 
to take him there, and he thought to go, spend a 
few days, and return to Canton. By that time, 
Quai Fa surely would return. He left Canton 
that night for Honkong, where he secured pass¬ 
age for Ambon, which, Jacobs informed him, was 
the center of the industry for the northern area. 

The “Sui On” going direct and making no 
stops en route raised Ambon the morning of the 


THE FLYING FOX 


57 


tenth day out, and, upon landing, Ah Foon went 
directly to his toko, or store, which one of his 
lieutenants maintained both as a trading and for¬ 
warding post. The Chinaman in charge was 
much surprised at the unheralded coming of 
Ah Foon, his master, who immediately com¬ 
manded that his presence in the vicinity be kept 
secret. It was Ah Foon’s purpose to learn first¬ 
hand of conditions in the Islands before taking 
to task his high-handed brother. A week or two 
spent in quiet investigation would bear much 
fruit. Ah Foon took up his abode in the toko, 
where Quai Fa was very happy in her new sur¬ 
roundings, though sweetly sorrowful at times 
when thinking of her lover. 

Here, in Ambon, Ah Foon heard the story 
of the wiping out of Clarke, who had lost the 
major portion of his fleet of luggers and many 
of his men in pitched battle with the forces of Li 
Chang, at whose mast-heads flew the emblem of 
the Flying Fox. It was a bitter Clarke that sat 
daily in the European Club in Ambon, drowning 


58 


THE FLYING FOX 


his rage and losses with copious draughts of 
“square face” gin. He vowed vengeance, and 
also that he was “through.” He was too old, 
he said, to make the fight he knew to be neces¬ 
sary to maintain sufficient hold upon the pearl- 
ing-beds to make the venture profitable. He 
would sell what remained of the fleet to some 
younger man to whom fighting was a pleasure. 

The hoarse rumble of the Dutch steamer, 
Schouten, coming from Singapore arrested fur¬ 
ther cogitation on these lines, for the arrival of 
the monthly steamer signalized the coming of 
mail, fresh provisions, and new faces. When the 
steamer docked, the town turned out enmasse 
to witness the arrival. Clarke rose from his seat 
and in company with his fellows, set out for the 
wharf to witness her unloading and to bandy 
words with her jolly skipper, Captain Bauer. 
In company with one or two of his cronies, he 
went aboard immediately the plank was down. 

Making his way toward the bridge, he met the 
captain descending, in company with a bright, 


THE FLYING FOX 


59 


young American, who listened, smilingly, to the 
cordial greetings and light bandiage exchanged 
between them. After greetings were exchanged, 
the captain bethought himself of Bruce, who had 
been treated by him, on the trip down, more as a 
guest than as a passenger. 

“I have a young friend here, Clarke, who will 
be here in Ambon until the ‘Heemskerk’ goes 
North, and I want you to entertain him.” With 
this the Captain introduced Bruce all around. 

“He is very much interested in the pearling 
business, Clarke,” the Captain continued, “and 
I told him several days ago, that you knew more 
about the pearl business than any other man in 
these waters.” 

“I guess I do,” growled Clarke, “and for 
good reason, too. I lost half my fleet, last month, 
fighting the damn Chinks.” 

“Bruce pricked up his ears at this, and the 
Captain looked up with a start of surprise. 

“You don’t tell me,” he exclaimed, “when 
did all this happen?” 


60 


THE FLYING FOX 


“Oh, it’s too long a story to tell you here,” 
said Clarke, “when are you sailing?” 

“With the morning tide,” returned the Cap- 
tain. 

“Oh, well then, you can hear it at the club 
tonight. You’ll have dinner there?” 

Thanking him for the invitation and assuring 
him that he would be on hand to hear the story, 
the Captain, after turning Bruce over to Clarke 
with a further admonition as to Bruce’s enter¬ 
tainment, excused himself on the plea of press¬ 
ing duties. Bruce went ashore with Clarke. As 
Bruce stepped upon the busy wharf his nostrils 
distended with the aroma of the spicy atmos¬ 
phere. Great rows of bags, piled high above his 
head, covered the major portion of the dock. 
These were filled with cloves and alspice and 
Bruce felt that he should like this place. Clarke 
took him directly to the hotel sending the porter 
immediately for Denton’s baggage. He left him 
saying: 

“When you get squared around, drop in at the 


THE FLYING FOX 


61 


Club. I’ll be there all afternoon and evening, 
but don’t miss dinner, which is at seven-thirty.” 

“I’ll be there right after tiffin,” answered 
Bruce, “and thanks for your kindness.” 

“Not at all, son, not at all,” said Clarke, as he 
left the hotel. 

It was mid-afternoon when Bruce went to the 
Club, where he found Clarke playing a game of 
solo, with no other companions about than a bot¬ 
tle of vanishing Scotch, a glass, and a syphon of 
soda. As he stepped upon the veranda, Clarke 
greeted him with: 

“Glad you’ve come. I was getting fearfully 
bored. I beat this game three straight times,” 
and he called the boy to bring another glass. 

To this Bruce raised his hand and said: 

“Not for me, Clarke, thanks just the same, 
but I’m on the wagon,” and, noting the look of 
mock compassion on Clarke’s face, added: 

“I’ll take a cigar, if it’s just the same.” 

Clarke grinned, and called, “Boy, Ada che¬ 
root!” 


62 


THE FLYING FOX 


“Sahya Tuan,” echoed thinly from a room in¬ 
side, and soon the boy brought the cigars, a half 
dozen of them, in a drinking tumbler. Each of 
them lighted one, and soon Bruce was eagerly 
listening to a graphic description of the pearling 
game by Clarke. 

By the time the cigars were gone, and the 
syphon only flowed in gurgley, spasmodic gasps, 
Bruce had become wildly enthused and “hor¬ 
ribly smitten” as he said with the pearl fishing 
game. 

“It’s a man’s size game, isn’t it, Clarke?” 

“Yes, it is Bruce, I only wish I were twenty 
years younger and I would carry this fight to a 
finish for there is a big stake in it.” 

“What would it cost me to go into the game ¥” 
was Denton’s next. 

“Why,” asked Clarke, “are you going into 
it?” 

“Well,” returned Bruce, “it is like this with 
me. I’m just a few months out of college. The 
governor gave me a piece of money and told me 


THE FLYING FOX 


63 


to go out and see the world before I settled down 
in the office. I am just enough interested in the 
pearling game to want to take a whirl at it. If I 
thought I could break even on it, for a year or 
two, I would go into it, for the fun of it, and par¬ 
ticularly, as there seems to be an argument on 
hand as to whether anybody has the right to go 
into any business he sees fit. I just love a good 
scrap.’’ He looked at Clark with eyes that 
sparkled. 

Clarke, in turn, looked at the younger man 
with kindly regard. He was a boy after his own 
heart. 

“How much money have you got?” he asked. 

“I’ve got about eleven thousand with me. I 
left home with fifteen.” Clark grinned. 

“Well, that might buy you a couple of diving 
suits, and a couple of spare sails,” he remarked. 
“But that’s about all. Have you any idea what 
it costs to go into the pearling game?” 

“No,” answered Bruce. 

“Well,” drawled Clarke, “You can get a 


64 


THE FLYING FOX 


pretty fair outfit for a hundred and twenty-five 
thousand dollars. ’’ 

Denton’s face fell and Clarke burst out laugh¬ 
ing. 

“Well I can wire the governor for money and 
he will send it, too.” 

“No, you won’t do that” answered Clarke, “I 
think I have a plan. I have half an outfit, really 
enough to start in, in a small way. Six thousand 
of your money will be enough to outfit on and 
operate until you get your first returns for the 
shell. Of course you might be lucky and find a 
few nice gems. If you are game enough to 
tackle it I’ll stake you to what remains of my 
fleet, on a fifty-fifty basis. How does it strike 
you?” 

“Wonderful” answered Bruce. “How soon 
can we get this thing framed up?” 

“Why, tomorrow—if you’re in a hurry,” re¬ 
turned Clarke. 

“My Dad says that his motto is ‘Do it now.’ 
What is good enough for him, is good enough for 


THE FLYING FOX 


65 


me,” said Bruce, as he extended his hand. “It’s 
a bargain.” 

As a clincher Clarke finished the bottle of 
Scotch. 

What remained of Clark’s fleet lay at anchor 
in the harbor above the town. Together he and 
Bruce went out to inspect it. Of a fleet that had 
once numbered thirty luggers there now re¬ 
mained but seven and the schooner,—but these 
Clarke informed him could be fully manned 
upon short notice. Calling Ula the Ambonese 
captain of the schooner into consultation, ar¬ 
rangements to provision the fleet for immediate 
active service were made. This Ula said could 
be done within two days. With the assurance 
that Ula would attend to everything they went 
back to the Club, where Clarke spent the rest of 
the afternoon and evening in giving Bruce the 
details of the work. Ula, he assured him, was 
fully capable of handling the work, and the only 
necessary thing for Bruce to supply would be 
the executive authority, without which the native 


66 


THE FLYING FOX 


crews were lost. It needed a stern hand at times 
and often, too, bare fists, to settle minor difficul¬ 
ties amongst the various boat crews and above 
all, a leader when beset with outside interfer¬ 
ence. 

“Handle them rough but square” said Clark, 
“and you won’t have any trouble with them.” 

The details of outfitting and of becoming 
familiar with the men filled the days that fol¬ 
lowed to overflowing for Bruce, for he gave his 
entire time to the project. 

Clarke gave him every help and soon the fleet 
was ready to sail to the pearling beds. As they 
passed down the street on the evening of the 
sailing, Bruce bethought himself of a last 
moment purchase and telling Clarke to wait a 
moment stepped into a toko to buy a tin of Dutch 
cigars. It was the toko of Ah Foon, who sat 
idly fanning himself just within the doorway. 
Turning to him Bruce asked for the cigars and 
Ah Foon called to someone in the backroom of 
the toke to come and wait on Bruce. 


THE FLYING FOX 


67 


As the Chinese entered the room Bruce 
glanced through the curtained doorway and 
stood rooted to the spot with what he saw. Quai 
Fa was sitting, her profile to him, upon a low 
chair playing with a kitten. The kitten scamp¬ 
ered away from her and entered the toko with 
Quai Fa in close pursuit. The kitten ran di¬ 
rectly to Bruce and Quai Fa stopped a few feet 
from him to look at the stranger. She raised 
her face and their eyes met. Quai Fa uttered a 
little cry of estatic surprise which she immedi¬ 
ately choked back and gazed fearfully at her 
father. Ah Foon had not been paying attention 
to either of them and so had missed entirely the 
little scene. At her cry, however, he turned 
quickly and though he did not sense the true im¬ 
port of it, he realized the meaning of the look on 
Denton’s face. Instantly he ordered Quai Fa to 
retire. Quai Fa turned and walked slowly to 
the room behind the toko while Bruce completed 
his purchase and left the place. 

Clarke noted his change of demeanor as Bruce 


68 


THE FLYING FOX 


caught up with him, for he had walked ahead a 
little and now looked at him quizzically. 

What’s happened?” he asked, “You look as 
though you had seen a ghost.” 

Bruce hesitated a moment, undecided as to 
whether he should tell Clarke what was in his 
heart, and then asked: 

“What is the daughter of the Flying Fox do¬ 
ing in Ambon?” 

“Daughter of the Flying Fox!” echoed Clarke, 
“What do you know about the daughter of the 
Flying Fox ? It was the Flying Fox that wiped 
me out.” 

“The devil you say?” answered Bruce, and 
fell silent, overcome with conflicting emotions, 
after a time saying: 

“I know nothing of her, except that I have 
seen her several times in Canton.” 

“Humph!” said Clarke, “I always thought 
these local Chinks were hooked up with the Fox’s 
organization. This will bear looking into. 


TEE FLYING FOX 


69 


Maybe it is just as well that I am not going along 
with you, I’ll watch this end.” 

At the dock they shook hands and said 
“Goodbye,” Clark giving Bruce, “God speed” 
and a warning to hit hard if interfered with. 
This Bruce promised to do, but lurking in his 
thoughts there loomed the fear that he might be 
forced into bloody battle with the father of the 
girl he loved. The thought was disquieting but 
he hoped that things would not come to such a 
pass. The dinghy bore him to the schooner 
which, as he clambered aboard, hoisted her sails 
and, followed by the seven luggers, slowly gath¬ 
ered way to glide silently down the harbor. 
Clarke stood and watched him from the dock un¬ 
til they disappeared in the gathering dusk of 
the evening. 

“I hope I haven’t got that boy into trouble,” 
he murmured to himself as he turned to go back 
to the Club. 

While Bruce had been outfitting, the agents of 
Ah Foon had not been idle. Every detail of the 


70 


THE FLYING FOX 


wiping out of Clarke’s great fleet of luggers had 
been given to him and he was fully informed re¬ 
garding Bruce’s venture. He resolved to go im¬ 
mediately to his brother’s headquarters to see 
that the outrage was not repeated. Li Chang, 
his twin, held forth on the island of Lucipara 
which island had been the rendevous for the 
pearling fleets of his ancestors ever since their 
entry to the game. 

On the island was a great cavern which was 
the abode of Li. Here he lived, secure from all 
interference in a sumptuously furnished grotto. 

Li Chang was seldom interfered with in his 
conduct of the business and being cast of sterner 
stuff than Ah Foon had become a despot who 
ruled the island waters with an iron hand. Many 
attempts had been made to poach upon what he 
regarded as his preserves which he had stamped 
out ruthlessly in the beginning, using for the 
purpose, a gang of cut-throats gathered from the 
pirate stock of the southern Chinese waters. 

Many were the attempts, too, that were made 


THE FLYING FOX 


71 


upon his life for he punished severely the slight¬ 
est infraction of his commands and of late he had 
become accustomed to talking to his lieutenants 
through a screen'of peacock feathers that they 
might not see him and know him. That the men 
he employed were desperate characters no one 
realized better than he. Li feared them. He 
surrounded himself with a picked few that he 
knew that he could trust. All others never saw 
him, but talked to him as they received their 
orders, through the peacock screen. His name, 
which by virtue of the brand or chop of the 
house, was the Flying Fox: None in the islands 
knew that he was only the employee of his 
brother. 

With the return of the Clarke fleet to the 
pearling beds, news was brought to him that out¬ 
siders were at work again and he summoned be¬ 
fore him one of his fighting men. To him he 
gave orders that the new comers be warned away 
and should they ignore the warning, to wipe 
them out as had been the others. The man bowed 


72 


THE FLYING FOX 


himself from the presence of his invisible mas¬ 
ter, leaving immediately to carry out the orders. 

The day that followed brought a surprise for 
Li Chang. From the little landing place came a 
coolie who had been working there. He brought 
the news of the coming of a strange white boat 
that even now was landing passengers. The boat 
was the “Sui On” and the people that were com¬ 
ing up the pathway to the cavern entrance were 
Ah Foon and his daughter Quai Fa. 

Li Chang awaited their coming behind the 
screen. As his brother entered the room he was 
nearly stunned with surprise and hastily came 
from behind the screen to greet him, glad to see 
him but at the same time, pondering on what 
could have occasioned this unheralded visit. Ah 
Foon had not visited the island in years, but each 
time he had come on a flying visit, he had sent 
word of his coming. Ah Foon was glad, too, to 
see Li Chang but underlying his brotherly af¬ 
fection was a deep seated resentment for his 


THE FLYING FOX 


73 


murderous brutality and flagrant mismanage¬ 
ment of the fisheries. 

Li sensed that something was wrong and 
quaked with dread, but he let no sign of this 
enter his bland countenance. Ah Foon was con¬ 
tent to bide his time and said nothing of what 
was in his mind. 

In the days that followed, during which time 
Ah Poon learned much of the organization that 
Li had built up, he let fall a few pointed com¬ 
ments which filled Li with unrest. Prom the 
attitude of his brother he feared that he might 
be sent back to Canton and another take his 
place. His crafty brain fell to scheming a way 
out of the difficulty and there came to him many 
dark thoughts. 

Many times he had wished that he alone owned 
the business in his own right. Many times he 
had told himself that it was wholly due to his 
efforts that Ah Foon lived in luxurious ease in 
the gay city while he did the work on the lonely 
island. Though he liked Quai Pa, he noted with 


74 


TEE FLYING FOX 


growing jealousy the unbounded affection Ah 
Foon bestowed upon her and he learned from Ah 
Foon that he intended leaving a large part of 
his estate to her. This filled him with bitter 
anger and his greedy soul became busy in plot¬ 
ting to gain her portion for himself. 

Li brooded upon these thoughts though he was 
urbanely subservious to his brother’s wishes, the 
while the subtle brain was busy in plotting 
against his brother, to gain sanction for Quai 
Fa’s hand in marriage. He became unwontedly 
kind in his attentions toward her, but Quai Fa 
mistrusted him and merely tolerated him. 
Planted deeply in her heart was her love of 
Bruce. 

One day Li broached the matter to his brother 
who after gazing sternly at him for a moment 
said: 

“It is not fitting that a vulture mate with a 
Flower.” He said it with a finality that closed 
the matter for all time. 

Meanwhile, Bruce was hard at work among 


THE FLYING FOX 


75 


the pearling beds. A rich area had been found 
and the bins on the luggers and the schooner 
were fast becoming filled with an excellent qual¬ 
ity of shell. He had been unusually lucky also 
for a number of fine stones had been found, 
which but whetted his enthusiasm. He was like 
a boy with a new toy. When night settled down, 
after each day’s work, he would eat a hasty meal 
and then dog tired from the days labors in which 
he took an active part, would go to bed and fall 
into a clreamless log-like slumber. 

One morning as the little fleet was preparing 
to leave a sheltered inlet and go to the scene of 
the day’s work there came a motor launch to 
visit him. Chugging its way with jaunty ef¬ 
frontery it bumped carelessly against the schoon¬ 
ers low side. There stepped over the rail from 
it a Chinese. It was the man that Li Chang had 
sent to Bruce to give the warning. He handed 
Bruce a little packet. Bruce opened the packet 
with hands that trembled with excitement for he 
sensed that this presaged a fight. 


76 


THE FLYING FOX 


“I’ve got a hunch,’’ he murmured to himself 
“that this means trouble,” this, as the contents 
of the packet came to view. It was a folded 
square of oiled silk. On it were the words writ¬ 
ten in decrepit Malay, “The fishing rights be¬ 
long to me. You must cease operation at once. 
Remember Clarke.” Stamped beneath the writ¬ 
ing and taking the place of both signature and 
seal was the “chop” of the Flying Fox—Bruce 
could not read Malay, and he turned to Ula, 
questioning him as to what it was all about. As 
Ula saw the emblem of Ah Foon upon the note 
his eyes widened in terror, while the emissary 
of the Fox smiled sardonically at his fear. 

“Well,” snapped Bruce “out with it—are we 
to be shot at sunrise or what?” 

The crew of the schooner sensed that some¬ 
thing was not right and gathered close, but Bruce 
angrily ordered them away while Ula, almost 
slavering in terror, explained to Bruce the con¬ 
tents of the note. Bruce went white with anger 
and tensed to leap upon the messenger. Ula 


THE FLYING FOX 


77 


divined what was in his mind and sprang to 
intercept him. Bruce glowered for a moment 
at the Chinese who drew himself up proudly, as 
though disdainful of anything that Bruce might 
do. The messenger spoke sharply, asking what 
word he should take his master. Bruce thought 
a moment, then with a smile reached into the 
scuppers and picking up a husked out oyster, 
twice as large as a man’s hand he slapped it full 
into the face of the messenger. 

“ Take him that for an answer,—and the sooner 
the quicker,” he remarked. 

Taken aback for the instant the Chinese stag¬ 
gered against the rail then, a look of scorn sup¬ 
planting the black rage that distorted his face, 
he turned and stepped over the rail into the wait¬ 
ing launch which soon disappeared around a 
point of the bay. 

But little shell was harvested that day for the 
men knew the full import of the visit. Denton’s 
efforts to allay their fears were met with fearful 
shakes of their heads and when his back was 


78 


THE FLYING FOX 


turned they talked in low tones among them¬ 
selves. It was a weary Bruce that crawled into 
his bunk that night when the day’s fishing was 
over. 

Morning came with the sky in the offing a 
leaden gray and a stiff breeze moaned through 
the rigging like a harbinger of doom. White- 
caps outside the reef that sheltered them spoke 
of a restless sea which would make work that 
day unpleasant. Bruce however, feeling that 
the best way to quiet the unrest that he knew 
the men were under, ordered the luggers out to 
work. Ula obediently hoisted the sailing signal. 
It fluttered a moment then the breeze died away. 
This done Bruce went below to get his breakfast. 

While he was eating it he heard a babble of 
voices coming from above and the bumping of 
boats against the sides of the schooner. He lis¬ 
tened for the moment, puzzled at what he heard, 
then he went on deck. There he found assembled 
the crews of all the luggers, who were gathered 
around Ula, engaged in a wild discussion. Bruce 



They talked in low tnoes 
among themselves . 




































































. 










































































































































THE FLYING FOX 


79 


strode into the midst of the gathering and 
roughly threw those who were in his way aside, 
demanding to know why his sailing order had 
not been obeyed. Ula informed him that the men 
were quitting for they feared the Plying Pox. 

Bruce looked around him taking note at the 
same time of an ash colored wall that was sweep¬ 
ing toward them from the open sea. He glanced 
aloft at the rigging. The stays and shrouds 
were hanging limp and motionless—there did 
not seem to be a breath of air stirring. It was 
the calm before the storm. 

Pointing to the approaching wall which was 
coming with express train speed and which he 
knew would bring with it wind that would 
sweep his fleet upon the sharp toothed reef within 
the twinkling of an eye should the luggers re¬ 
main unmanned, he roared to the men to return 
to the luggers and save them. This they refused 
to do, shaking their heads with sullen apathy. 

Overcome with fear of losing the fleet he 
changed his tactics and pled with the men—but 


80 


THE FLYING FOX 


it was of no avail. They had received a warning 
of death from the Flying Fox: They were quit¬ 
ting in a body and wanted their wages. Then 
Bruce saw red. 

Ula and the crew of the schooner he knew he 
could count upon. Shouting to Ula to arm the 
crew and to beat the men into submission he 
leaped at the nearest, the spokesman of number 
two lugger, knocking him flat with a terrific 
swing upon the chin. Then Bruce went berserk. 
Clenching his teeth, his face set in cold determin¬ 
ation, he waded into the gang of mutineers with 
bare fists that smote like battering rams. The 
men tried at first to run away, to dodge this 
fighting devil of a white man, but no matter 
where they ran upon the deck, he sought them 
out, knocking them about like nine-pins. 

Back of the after-cabin where the crew of the 
schooner and Ula had gone to get winch bars 
with which to fight, there was a pretty battle in 
progress. The men understood this kind of 
fighting, and those whom Bruce had driven from 


THE FLYING FOX 


81 


the forward deck hurled themselves en masse 
upon Ula and his men. Bruce heard the wild 
cries and the sound of fighting on the after deck 
and turned to go there. Here he found a real 
battle in progress and though many of the men 
lay quiet on the deck, mute evidence of the effi¬ 
cacy of the winch bars, the others with drawn 
knives were battling savagely with the schoon¬ 
er’s crew, two of whom were down. 

Bruce realized the fight had gone beyond the 
bare fist stage and drew from his hip pocket his 
automatic, which since the coming of the warn¬ 
ing the day before he had taken from his cabin 
and carried with him. He levelled the pistol at 
the crowd and shouted a warning which none but 
Ula heeded. Ula turned to look and shrieked to 
Bruce to look behind him pointing as he gave 
the warning. Bruce turned just in time to see 
the spokesman of Number Two lugger, the first 
man he had struck, springing at him with wavy 
bladed kriss. 

There was no time to dodge and as the blade 



82 


THE FLYING FOX 


sunk into his shoulder the automatic spoke. The 
man sunk to his knees and collapsed upon the 
deck leaving the kriss standing upright in Den¬ 
ton’s shoulder. Bruce staggered against the rail, 
sick, not with the pain of the wound, but with 
the horror the white man has of a knife, then 
recovering himself savagely jerked it from his 
shoulder and emptied the automatic into the 
milling mass on the after-deck. With each shot 
a man fell. As the fusillade of shots rang out 
the storm struck and the schooner heeled before 
the blast almost submerging her low rail. The 
men, dead and alive, rolled in one thrusting, 
cursing, murderous mass across the deck to the 
lee scuppers. 

This stopped the fight. As the schooner 
slowly righted came the rain. It came like a 
cloud burst, washing clean the dark stains from 
the decks. Those of the luggers crews that were 
able to do so leaped overside and struck out for 
the shore a hundred yards distant. When the 
storm struck Bruce lost his footing and with the 


THE FLYING FOX 


83 


others slid across the slippery deck striking his 
head upon a deck cleat. He saw a great burst 
of green light and then everything went black. 

In the moments that followed while Bruce lay 
unconscious against the rail, Ula and those that 
remained of the crew sprang to the anchor gear 
to pay out more chain. The schooner was drag¬ 
ging her anchor. While they were engaged at 
this Bruce regained his senses and sat up. The 
deluge of rain had brought him from his faint. 
His first thoughts were for the safety of the lug¬ 
gers. 

He arose unsteadily to his feet and gazed 
around him. In the downpour everything was 
obscured. He was sick at his stomach and his 
head and shoulder ached abominably.: He 
staggered to a coil of rope nearby and sat down 
upon it to rest, trying to collect his thoughts. 

As the storm cleared away the horizon became 
brighter and Bruce groaned with dismay. 
Where the luggers had been riding at anchor 
there was now only an angry waste of white- 


84 


THE FLYING FOX 


capped water. Over to the left where lay the 
reef he saw the top rigging of the largest of the 
luggers careening drunkenly a few feet above 
the white caps. The whole fleet of luggers had 
been swept upon the reef, to sink after being 
dashed upon it, with stove-in bottoms. Bruce 
was gripped with black despair. 

“What in God’s name will I tell Clarke?” he 
murmured. 

Not knowing what else to do, Ula came to him 
cringing, fearful that he might be blamed with 
the disaster. He opened his lips to speak but 
Bruce with a wave of his hand told him to keep 
silent. As he turned the thing over in his mind 
Bruce’s anger rose again. Rising to his feet he 
surveyed the deck. Lying near him was the first 
man that he had shot—Bruce looked at him 
vengefully. 

The man whose face was turned toward that of 
Bruce was a half caste. He was half Chinese 
and half Malay. Unlike the others he wore a 
broad leather belt upon which were fastened 


THE FLYING FOX 


85 


capacious pockets. Bruce walked over toward 
him and stood looking down upon him. Ula with 
the crew followed at a respectful distance. After 
a moments survey of the man Bruce shrugged 
and turned to Ula saying: 

“Get rid of all this carrion.’’ 

Telling the men to clear the decks of those who 
had been killed, Ula stooped to pick up the body. 
As he did so his eyes fell upon the belt which he 
instantly coveted. His eyes, which he raised to 
those of Bruce, held a silent question. Bruce 
looked at him and a quizzical smile crept over 
his face. He nodded, “Yes.” 

Ula unbuckled the belt and after tossing the 
body overboard, brought the belt to Bruce and 
searched its pockets. Among the things he 
found there was a small packet of pearls which 
Ula handed to Bruce. There was also a small 
wad of tightly rolled silk. This he unrolled ex¬ 
citedly. It carried a message. Translated it 
read: 

“After wrecking the luggers come to Luci- 


86 


THE FLYING FOX 


para. There you will meet a man who has a 
broken china plate, if the fragment of porcelain 
you have fits the break you will know him to be 
your guide. He will lead you to me, I will reward 
you. ’ ’ The 4 4 surat ’ ’ was signed with the 4 4 chop’ ’ 
of the Plying Fox. Bruce looked at the message 
a victim of harrowing perplexity. 

4 4 So I had a spy right in my own organization. 
I stood a fine chance!” 

44 What’s this piece of porcelain'?” he said to 
Ula. 

Ula shrugged his shoulders and then went 
through the belt again. Down in the bottom of 
the pocket, hidden by the stiffness of the leather, 
he found a little chip of porcelain which he 
handed to Bruce. Bruce looked at the tiny frag¬ 
ment that lay in the palm of his hand for a 
moment; then turning to Ula said: 

4 4 Ula this is the little open sesame to the hang¬ 
out of the bird that has caused me all this woe. 
I am going to address him with a few staccatto 
remarks read from Mr. Colt’s latest work on 




THE FLYING FOX 


87 


how to ventilate the human form. If you don’t 
get the entire drift of what I’m talking about, 
I’ll put it so that you do. Head this barge to¬ 
ward Lucipara and don’t even hesitate until you 
get there. I’ll pay him a personal visit.” 

Ula looked at Bruce in dumfounded dismay. 

“I mean it,” said Bruce “we go to Lucipara 
now!” 

Ula got the schooner under way without en¬ 
thusiasm. While en route to Lucipara Bruce 
laid his plans. He would send one of the crew 
ashore with the fragment to meet the man with 
the plate and would follow close behind, dressed 
as a native and thus gain admittance to the lair 
of the -Flying Fox. Once there he felt that he 
would exact vengeance and he felt that were he 
successful in wiping out the Fox, Clark would 
feel well remunerated for the loss of the luggers. 

Within the caverns on the island the plans of 
Li Chang were maturing. Ah Foon had been 
taken ill. The emissary had returned with the 
news that Denton’s game was at an end for the 


88 


THE FLYING FOX 


crews of the luggers had been warned, and the 
most influential man aboard each lugger had 
been bribed to desert at the signs of the first 
storm. 

Quai Fa had inadvertently overheard the re¬ 
port and had carried it to her father being at 
the same time consumed with dread. From the 
description of the scene which had taken place 
when the messenger had brought the warning to 
Bruce, she knew that the fleet was commanded 
by her lover. Then had Ah Foon risen in wrath 
at the further disobedience of his orders and 
promised Li that upon the return of the “Sui 
On” which had been sent to Ambon for supplies, 
Li would be sent back to China and forever sever 
his connections with the house of the Flying Fox. 
Li Chang was craftily penitent but in his soul 
he plotted murder. That very night he put into 
execution the beginning of his plans. Ah Foon 
would be seized with pains in his stomach and 
as the poisoning progressed would become in¬ 
creasingly ill and would die when Li Chang 


THE FLYING FOX 


89 


wished it. In the meantime he would suffer for 
Li Chang loved to be cruel. Li was a master of 
slow poisoning. 

The next day Ah Foon complained to Quai Fa 
that he was ill. He remained on his couch in a 
room which he had set aside for his personal use. 
It was one which connected to the great recep¬ 
tion chamber by a short passage. When food 
was brought to him he did not eat and Li with 
guilty conscience wondered if his brother knew 
the truth. Ah Poon was still within the chamber 
with Quai Pa in loving attendance when a coolie 
burst into the reception chamber where Li was 
resting on inlaid divan. The coolie brought the 
news that the schooner of the wrecked fleet was 
in the little harbor. Instantly Li Chang divined 
the meaning of the visit. 

“Let them come,” he ordered. 

Clapping his hands together he turned to the 
man who answered the summons saying: 

“Bring in the chair.’’ 

After the coolie had brought in a heavily 


90 


THE FLYING FOX 


carved chair which Li placed, himself, in the 
center of the room, he turned and went behind 
the peacock screen, lighted a tiny wisp of tobacco 
placed in the brass bowl of a long stemmed pipe 
and awaited the coming of Bruce. 

Bruce had the anchor dropped while still some 
distance from the shore. He called Ula to him. 
Though during the trip to the island he had dis¬ 
cussed what he planned doing he had told Ula 
nothing definite. Now, taking the little chip of 
porcelain from his pocket he handed it to Ula 
saying: 

“You go ashore and meet this guide. I will 
follow a short distance behind, after I’ve made 
my toilet. Get ashore quick and send the dinghy 
back for me immediately,” so saying Bruce 
dived into his cabin. 

The dinghy was just leaving the little wharf on 
the return trip when he came again to the deck, 
Bruce had made his toilet. He looked like a 
native. From odds and ends of native clothing 
scattered in the forecastle he had gathered 








THE FLYING FOX 


91 


enough material to make the disguise complete; 
to the casual glance he was a native. Bruce 
walked to the rail and looked around. On the 
rocky shore there were only two figures to be 
seen, that of Ula and of a pajama clad Chinese 
who scrambled down toward Ula from a rocky 
shelf that overlooked the harbor. 

Bruce watched them as they met and with the 
glasses saw Ula fit into its place the tiny bit of 
porcelain he had taken from the belt of the half- 
caste. Indicating the way with a gesture the 
guide preceded Ula up a narrow path which 
skirted the base of the mountain; soon they were 
lost to view in the dense growing cocoanuts. 

As they entered the fringe of cocoanuts grow¬ 
ing near the beach Bruce swung over the rail 
and dropped into the waiting dinghy. Rapidly 
he was rowed ashore where he ran toward the 
place he had seen the two enter the trees. 
After a short time he caught sight of them as 
they slowly made their way around the hill. 

After following them for a short distance Ula 


92 


THE FLYING FOX 


and his guide came into plain view, for they had 
penetrated beyond the grove of cocoanuts and 
were traversing a green meadow which lay at 
the foot of the mountains. The pathway lay di¬ 
rectly at its foot. They were just in the middle 
of the open space when Bruce, startled by the 
snapping of a twig behind him, dropped to his 
knees with the automatic covering the spot from 
whence the sound had come. He listened for a 
few seconds, wondering what had caused the 
noise. His tensed nerves magnified every 
rustling leaf or wind-swept bamboo frond a 
thousand times. 

“Huh! I’m all nerves,” he murmured to him¬ 
self and rose to watch the others. His eyes 
opened in wonder for they were gone. Scarcely 
ten seconds had elapsed since he had last seen 
them, and he knew that they could not have 
crossed from the middle of that clearing to the 
thicket beyond in less than a full minute. There 
was absolutely nothing growing in the clearing 
behind which to hide. It was as if they had van- 


THE FLYING FOX 


93 


ished into thin air. Bruce felt his hair raise and 
the goose flesh crawl all over him. The impos¬ 
sible had happened and before the mystery of it 
he was gripped with a daunting fear. 

“Great guns!” he murmured to himself, “this 
is uncanny, but they just could ’nt disappear. 
Well, I started this little party and,” gazing af¬ 
fectionately at the business like blue pistol he 
held in his hand, “I guess between the two of 
us we can keep up our end of it.” 

So saying he struck boldly out across the open 
place toward the spot where he had last seen 
Ula and his guide. As he looked around for 
some trace of the direction of their going his 
eye caught a dark patch on the hillside near the 
pathway. He went nearer to it to get a better 
view and smiled. It was the entrance to a pass¬ 
age which led inward toward the center of the 
mountain. Echoing thinly down the long cor¬ 
ridor he heard the sound of footsteps coming 
through the blackness. 

He groped his way along the passage, the pis- 


94 


THE FLYING FOX 


tol in one hand the other upon the rough hewn 
wall for guidance, straining his eyes to catch a 
glimpse of those he followed. Soon the way be¬ 
came sharply descending and the walls became 
damp with moisture. There came a low rumble 
from above upon hearing which, he stopped to 
listen. Finally he made out what it was. It was 
the surf beating upon the rocky shore above him. 
He was beneath the sea. A short distance in 
front of him he heard a low hissing sound and 
he recoiled, the gun levelled, fearful of attack 
by something which he could not see. The black¬ 
ness seemed to smite him with its intensity. 

The very air was alive with thousands of bats 
which flew squeaking all about his head, their 
wings brushing him in their flight, their noise- 
some bodies making foul the air with their reek¬ 
ing stench. The thing began to get on Bruce’s 
nerves. He began to wonder if this intermin¬ 
able corridor led to the center of the earth and 
he cursed his foolhardiness in coming to such a 
place alone. When he was just about ready to 


THE FLYING FOX 


95 


retrace his steps the hissing came again. It was 
louder this time. 

As he gazed into the unfathomable blackness 
ahead he saw a vertical narrow band of yellow 
light appear. It broadened slowly and he 
saw a door open through which Ula and his 
guide passed. The guide closed the door behind 
him as he entered. In the brief interval the mel¬ 
low light from within had lighted the pathway 
and Bruce seeing that it was level at this point, 
leaped across the intervening distance and lis¬ 
tened with ear close to the panel, trying to catch 
some sound from within. He heard nothing. He 
hesitated in momentary indecision, then slowly 
swinging open the door he peered through the 
narrow crack and saw before him a passage 
hewn from the solid rock and carpented with the 
richest rugs. The soft yellow glow that illumi¬ 
nated the place came from a bowl hewn from 
the rock wall. Trickling down from a blackened 
spot above it was a stream of thick crude oil 
that dripped onto a wad of something that was 


96 


THE FLYING FOX 


burning. The heavy smoke that rose from the 
flame disappeared into a crevice above for there 
seemed to be a strong draft upward through it. 

He opened the door a bit and looked straight 
down the passage. It was empty and its other 
end was closed with golden curtains. On the 
curtain worked in black embroidery was the 
emblem of the Flying Fox, a bat with outspread 
wings. Bruce thrilled at the sight for he knew 
that he had found the lair of the Fox. 

There was a faint odor of incense in the air. 
It was as if something ineffably sweet had 
passed through the place and had left behind 
an intangible reminder of the passing. He heard 
a deep toned gong strike three times behind the 
curtain. There were voices, too, that seemed 
muffled, so he guessed that there were rooms be¬ 
yond and cautiously crept up close to the cur¬ 
tain. He was just bending over to look through 
a little parting in the heavy drapes when a voice 
from within called: 


THE FLYING FOX 


97 


44 Come in, Denton!” Bruee was thunder¬ 
struck. 

He thrust the curtains aside and stepped 
through the doorway. The room was empty. 
He gazed around at its rich interior and mar¬ 
velled at what he saw. The walls were hung with 
yellow silk and one immense green and gold rug 
covered the floor. 

Elaborately carved Chinese furniture, dragon 
chairs of blackest ebony, delicate taborets that 
supported priceless porcelains, ivory figures that 
stood in vivid contrast with the aged rosewood 
cabinets that held them, all showing a taste for 
the beautiful, a love for the artistic that made 
him wonder what manner of man the Flying 
Fox could be. He saw a screen of peacock 
feathers at the far end of the room, and the voice 
came again. 

“I have been waiting for you, Denton; I 
wanted to have a talk with you,” the voice said. 

44 Well,” answered Bruce, 44 1 have come here 


98 


THE FLYING FOX 


for the same purpose. So we can have that little 
talk right now.” 

Bruce was answered by a chuckle from behind 
the screen and was at the same instant seized 
from behind by two six foot Chinese who as they 
pinioned him wrested from his grip his only 
weapon—the automatic pistol. His struggles 
were in vain, for they held him in a grip of iron. 
A gong boomed once. The room was plunged 
in utter blackness—there was a rustling as of 
silk curtains thrust aside and suddenly it was 
light again. The voice came from behind the 
screen. 

“Go over to that nearest chair, Denton, and 
sit down.” Bruce hesitated and the voice con¬ 
tinued: “Sit down, Denton, sit down! You will 
get tired standing, we are going to have a long 
talk.” 

Bruce shrugged his shoulders and sat down. 
As he dropped his arm on the carved arm of 
the chair he heard a little click. It was the same 
chair that the coolie had brought in for Li Chang 


THE FLYING FOX 


99 


to place, as Bruce looked at the arm there sprung 
from their places of concealment in the carving 
of the arm rest, two sharp pointed hooks which 
enclosed his forearm but did not quite touch it. 
On the needle pointed barbs he saw a green 
sticky substance which he realized must be pois¬ 
on. He shrank from the thing in horror and 
as he shifted his weight in the chair the points 
lifted a little and hung quivering as though 
poised to strike. Bruce’s heart stood still. He 
heard a chuckle come from behind the screen 
and the purring of the voice of Li Chang. 

‘ 4 Keep your weight well on that arm for if 
you move the slightest bit in any direction the 
points will sink home. Then it will be only a 
matter of minutes—a very few minutes.” 

Bruce cursed his luck and foolhardiness in 
coming to the place and the man behind the 
screen must have divined his thoughts for he 
chuckled immoderately and twitted him with his 
predicament. Bruce squirmed in anger and Li 
Chang hissed the word: 


100 


THE FLYING FOX 


“Careful!” 

Li was playing with him as a cat plays with 
a mouse and he gloated over his prisoner. Bruce 
gazed in terror at the hooks. They were just 
returning to their striking position. There was 
a little green speck on each side of his sleeve 
where the points had touched it and he grew 
sick with the thought of his brush with that 
green death. 

Bruce fell silent for the time then with mount¬ 
ing anger which was directed mainly at himself, 
he cursed the Flying Fox, daring him to come 
from behind the screen and show himself. His 
hoarse voice, choked with anger, penetrated to 
the room where Quai Fa nursed her ailing 
father. Quai Fa looked up in stunned surprise. 
She instantly recognized the voice. With a 
glance at Ah Foon who lay comfortably resting 
upon the couch, she stole down the corridor and 
peered through a peep-hole which was pierced 
through the eye of an embroidered dragon which 
was part of the decoration of the great drape 



Li was playing with Bruce as 
a cat plays with a mouse. 










































































































































































































102 


THE FLYING FOX 


at Mm, helpless through the little opening in the 
head of the dragon behind him. 

His thoughts were confused. He was at a loss 
to know what to do. His eyes travelled slowly 
around the room seeking some means of escape, 
but on each side there was only the endless yel¬ 
low silken hanging that for all he knew might 
conceal guards that would frustrate any attempt 
he made to free himself. He looked at the 
barbed points that quivered as though eager to 
strike at the slightest movement of his body and 
fell to studying the carved head of the dragon 
which formed the end of the chair arm. 

Something peculiar about that head fascin¬ 
ated Mm. He had seen many such chairs like it 
in China, but none of these were as finely 
wrought, it seemed. It had a flaming red tongue 
that swayed from side to side and had eyes of 
pearl that protruded slightly from the head. 

He leaned over slightly to look at the eyes, 
watching the poisoned points as he did so. They 
did not move for he was careful not to shift his 


TEE FLYING FOX 


103 


weight. He studied the head closely for some¬ 
thing told him that there must be some way out 
of the grip of the thing that made escape pos¬ 
sible to any one that knew the secret of the chair. 
The whole attitude of the head on the chair arm 
was different and as he studied the thing he 
noticed that one of the eyes seemed to be loose 
in it’s setting. Slowly raising his free hand, 
watching the points as he did so for any signs of 
movement, he touched the pearl disc that formed 
the eye of the dragon. 

It was loose. It was only an idle impulse that 
prompted him to push it back into place, but he 
did it and instantly heard a low whirring from 
within the body of the chair. He froze with dis¬ 
may at the sound for he feared that he had set 
in motion the diabolical mechanism of the chair 
to his undoing. Wide-eyed he gazed at the two 
barbs of death. With infinite relief he saw them 
bend slowly outward and down, to fold them¬ 
selves and disappear in the body of the arm, 
masked by the ornate carving. 


104 


THE FLYING FOX 


In the outer chamber where Li had caused 
Ula to be held prisoner there were gathered the 
bad men of the coast of China. They were 
standing in the corner of the room intently lis¬ 
tening to the questioning of the prisoner by their 
master. 

Ula cringed in piteous distress for Li was 
making promises. They were promises of the 
punishment to come. He was to receive twenty 
lashes with the tail of the “Ikan Pari” the great 
sting ray of the coral reefs. Should he survive 
this punishment, and Ula knew that this was the 
sentence of his death, then would he be tied flat 
upon his back and the “hahleepan” the mon¬ 
strous centipede of the islands, be placed upon 
his naked breast to draw a fiery trail of torturing 
madness upon his quivering body. 

As the sentence was pronounced he shrieked 
in terror and begged to be killed outright, but 
Li Chang bent upon his murderous plan, gloated 
with cruel delight at the agony of his victim and 
gave orders that the thing be done without delay. 


THE FLYING FOX 


105 


While the servants were making Ula ready for 
the torture he left the room to go to Bruce to 
taunt him further. Fearful of what might lay 
in wait for him behind the curtains Bruce sat in 
the chair for a moment after the points had 
folded themselves away waiting to see what 
would happen. 

Faintly coming to him from the distant tor¬ 
ture chamber he heard the muffled cries of Ula. 
He sprung to his feet to go to him but realized 
that he was unarmed. Quickly looking around 
the room for something which might serve as a 
weapon he saw a tall thin bronze vase upon a 
spindly table. It would make an admirable club. 
The turned out lip made a perfect grip which 
would enable him to hold it securely in his hand. 
He seized it and he did so caught from the tail 
of his eye the movement of the hangings where 
Li Chang had passed before. 

As he gazed at it the movement seemed to be 
coming toward him for he stood just before the 
screen, but a little to one side. He knew that Li 


106 


THE FLYING FOX 


was returning. He would come again to the 
peacock screen. 

Bruce stepped lightly to the edge of the screen 
and as the wave in the curtain came abreast of 
him, seized the silken hanging, thrust it aside 
and raising the bronze vase high above his head, 
brought it down heavily on the head of Li who 
unconscious of his peril, was taken unawares. 
The vase struck him a glancing blow upon the 
head and heavily upon the shoulder nearest 
Bruce. Li collapsed like a log. 

Bruce stood for an instant gazing upon his 
fallen enemy then realizing his danger turned 
to flee. In his confused state of mind he could 
not remember just where the corridor was that 
had brought him to the place. Behind him he 
saw a place in the drape that hung from the roof 
that looked as though it was parted. He sprung 
toward it and sure enough, the drapes over¬ 
lapped at that point and he stepped through the 
opening. He was in a short corridor. At it’s 
further end he saw the figure of a girl who with 


THE FLYING FOX 


107 


her back toward him was just entering the room 
at the end of the passage. 

As she stepped into the room she turned. 
Bruce recognized her instantly and exclaimed. 

“Quai Fa! What are you doing here.” He 
ran to her. 

Ah Foon at the sound raised himself from the 
couch. As Bruce saw him he dropped the vase 
in surprise; he was petrified with amazement 
for had he not just an instant before knocked 
this man unconscious on the other side of the 
reception chamber? Ah Foon and his twin 
brother were as alike in appearance as two peas, 
but Bruce never thought of there being two of 
them. He leaped at Ah Foon saying: 

“I thought I finished you a moment ago, but 
I see I didn’t. I’ll do the job right this time,” 
and his fingers closed on Ah Foon’s throat. 

Quai Fa gazed for the moment speechless, then 
recovering her senses shrieked: 

“Bruce! he is my father,” and she threw her¬ 
self upon him sobbing with terror. “It was Li 


108 


TEE FLYING FOX 


Chang you struck, there in the other room.’’ 

Bruce released Ah Foon and turned to Quai 
Fa. 

“Li Chang” he said, “who is he?” 

“Father’s wicked brother,” answered Quai 
Fa, “it was he who caused the destruction of 
your pearling fleet. Father has come to punish 
him for it. That is why we left Canton.” 

Bruce looked at her speechless for the moment, 
then as her tear-filled eyes looked appealingly 
into his, went to her and gathered her into his 
arms. 

Then it was Ah Foon who broke the silence. 
Turning to Quai Fa who nestled in Bruce’s arms 
he demanded to know how she, his daughter, 
should know this stranger. Bruce answered for 
her, telling how he had seen her in the place be¬ 
fore the temple, and of the fight that followed, 
leaving out however, the details of the melee. 
Quai Fa listened quietly up to his telling of the 
fight, then broke in and told Ah Foon of the 


THE FLYING FOX 


109 


great band of beggars and how Bruce had fought 
for her. 

She drew away from Bruce and went to Ah 
Foon and there, her head resting on his shoulder, 
sobbed out the story of her disobedience and of 
how she had talked to Bruce over the high wall 
of the garden. She told Ah Foon of her love for 
Bruce and reaching into the neck of her silk coat 
drew out the locket, opened it and showed it to 
her father. 

Ah Foon stood in listening silence. In his 
heart there came a great pain. Quai Fa who had 
loved him alone: Quai Fa his little daughter 
now loved another. There came to him the 
memory of that evening, not so long ago in the 
garden, when she had played the harp so beauti¬ 
fully. He remembered the thoughts that had 
come to him as he stood listening. He bowed his 
head to the inevitable, the while looking into 
Bruce’s soul with groping eyes. Bruce in turn 
looked deeply into those of the older man. 

In them he saw only kindliness and the great 


110 


THE FLYING FOX 


love that Ah Foon bore Quai Fa. Somehow he 
sensed that he was undergoing examination and 
there came to him a vague fear that this wise old 
man might find him wanting. Quai Fa with a 
woman’s instinctive subtlety knew what passed 
through Ah Foon’s thoughts and her hand crept 
slowly to his arm where it lightly caressed it, in 
appeal. 

In Bruce Denton’s face there was nothing that 
disturbed Ah Foon. In it were rugged man¬ 
liness and the signs of clean living. It was a 
face, different than the ones of the average white 
man that lived in China. There were no ear¬ 
marks of late hours, no signs of drink and the 
blue eyes looked squarely into his unafraid and 
honest. 44 This is a man,” Ah Foon told himself. 

Bruce read the unspoken approval in Ah 
Foon’s eyes and drawing Quai Fa closer to him 
said, his voice trembling in it’s intensity: 

“I will be good to her.” 

Ah Foon’s eyes wandered from the blue ones. 
His gaze flitted from object to object about the 


THE FLYING FOX 


111 


room for a moment, then, as though centered 
upon something infinite in distance looked down 
the long vista of tomorrow, wondering, ponder¬ 
ing. 

# * * 

To his mind came the memory of John 
Dowling, her father. He, Ah Foon remembered, 
was an American. Bruce was of the same coun¬ 
try. Ah Foon remembered that with the little 
baby Jane there had been intrusted to his care, 
a Bible. He had never told Quai Fa of her par¬ 
entage. Now was the time to do it. Taking their 
hands in his he told them the story of Jane’s 
adoption and his great love of the motherless 
girl. He told Quai Fa her English name and 
how he had planned some time to see her hap¬ 
pily married to a man of her own race, found 
worthy of her. In Bruce, Quai Fa had found 
that man and Ah Foon was content. 

In the torture chamber the men had prepared 
Ula for the torture. With hands tied to an iron 
ring that hung from a great staple in the wall 


112 


THE FLYING FOX 


above his head, Ula prayed that he might die 
speedily. The six foot Manchu that had wrested 
the pistol from Bruce stood with the death-deal¬ 
ing whip in readiness for the lashing that was to 
loose the soul of Ula. They awaited the return 
of Li. 

The glancing blow that Bruce had given him 
had stunned Li and he lay unconscious for min¬ 
utes, then recovering slightly he became con¬ 
scious of a throbbing, blinding ache in his head. 
He staggered to his feet and made his way slowly 
back to the torture room to call his men and bind 
up the bleeding gash the vase had made. 

As he entered the room the men rushed to him 
to aid him for he was scarcely able to stand. 
They assisted him to a bench where they bathed 
the cut and bound it up. As they finished it Li’s 
eyes caught sight of the nude figure of Ula bound 
to the whipping ring. His pain-drawn face be¬ 
came black with murderous anger and he re¬ 
membered Bruce and the terrific blow that he 
had given him. 


THE FLYING FOX 


113 


The thought flashed through his mind that 
Bruce had torn himself out of the chair regard¬ 
less of the poisoned points and had had sufficient 
time before the poison became effective to seek 
revenge. The thought came to him that possibly 
Bruce was still alive for the poison sometimes 
worked slowly. With the thought that Bruce 
might still be susceptible to pain, came the de¬ 
sire to torture him before his life finally flickered 
away and he rose to his feet, calling to the men 
to follow him. It never occurred to him that 
Bruce might be free, unscathed. The chair had 
never failed in times past. 

Leading the way he entered the corridor and 
went to the reception chamber. He flung back 
the heavy drapes and gazed in surprise at the 
empty room. He heard the murmur of Ah 
Foon’s voice. The hangings where Bruce had 
entered the passage were disturbed and Li went 
to them and peered through the parting. He re¬ 
coiled in amazement. Bruce was standing hold¬ 
ing in his arms the Flower of Kindness and Ah 


114 


THE FLYING FOX 


Foon was talking to them with great kindliness. 
Though he did not know the circumstances of the 
meeting he sensed that it augured ill for him, 
and the plan he had laid for the death of his 
brother by poisoning, he dismissed from his 
mind as being too slow. 

Now was the time to act. His men would do 
his bidding. He would order the death of both 
Bruce and Ah Foon now, and there would be the 
end of it. Quai Fa he would leave unharmed. 
He would bend her to his desires. She would 
forget. 

Closing the parting of the silken curtain he 
withdrew from the room with the men. When at 
a safe distance down the corridor where he could 
not be overheard, he turned to them and gave his 
orders. The Manchu was to strike down Ah 
Foon whom Li told them he had found to be an 
imposter and who, he said, was plotting with the 
white man to seize the pearling beds. Li offered 
rich rewards if the thing were done speedily. To 
the others he gave the capture of Bruce, whom 




THE FLYING FOX 


115 


he wished to take unhurt. Li promised them the 
pleasure of flaying Bruce alive. 

The bestial faces of the devilish crew lighted 
with joy at this and when Li gave the order to 
proceed they crept silently to the entrance of Ah 
Foon’s apartment. Li remained at the curtains 
as they rushed down the short passage. 

With the sound of their coming Bruce realized 
the danger and sweeping Quai Fa and Ah Foon 
behind him, reached for the vase which lay where 
it had fallen on the floor. He swung it above his 
head just in time to defend himself from the 
nearest of the attackers. It was the Manchu. 
The heavy rim around the swelling body of the 
vase landed squarely upon the head of the snarl¬ 
ing fiend and he sank to the ground where, after 
quivering a moment, his murderous soul took 
leave. 

Li could not see what was happening within 
the room, but he knew that the fight was mo¬ 
mentarily checked for when the Manchu fell the 
men had paused in their attack. He urged them 


116 


THE FLYING FOX 


on and they, taking fresh heart at the sound of 
his voice leaped upon Bruce in one shrieking, 
howling mass. Bruce retreated a step and 
jumped upon the divan upon which Ah Foon had 
been resting. The bronze vase rose and fell. 
Each time it fell there was a crunch and a yellow 
soul went slithering down to hades. 

Quai Fa crouched in the corner in wide-eyed 
fear, clutching in trembling hands the heavily 
embroidered robe of her father who gaped at 
Bruce in awe. Never had Ah Foon seen a man 
that fought like this one and there came to him 
the thought that Quai Fa would be well cared for 
by such a fighting man. 

From behind the mob that were attacking 
Bruce there crept a sneaking figure. Dropping 
on his hands and knees, screening himself from 
Bruce’s view by crawling close to the side of the 
couch on which Bruce stood, the coolie got be¬ 
hind him. Quai Fa was too terrified for speech 
for she saw the man and realized Bruce’s danger. 
Her grip on Ah Foon’s robe tightened and he 


THE FLYING FOX 


117 


looked down at the girl to comfort her. Noting 
the expression on her face and following the di¬ 
rection of her eyes he too, saw Bruce’s peril. Ah 
Foon wasted no time. Seizing a sword from it’s 
hanging place upon the wall he unsheathed it 
by whirling it around his head so that the scab¬ 
bard flew away and left the blade naked. The 
coolie’s eyes were riveted on Bruce. He raised 
on his knees to grapple Bruce around the ankles. 
Ah Foon stepped from behind the screen which 
had hidden him from the coolie, raised the sword, 
point downwards, in both hands and drove it 
through the crouching body. 

It was the first time Ah Foon had ever delib¬ 
erately killed a man. The coolie died with a 
great struggle and Ah Foon let go the handle of 
the sword, gazing at the dying man with widen¬ 
ing eyes. He had saved Bruce but at what ex¬ 
pense ! Ah Foon was not a man of blood. 

Meanwhile Bruce was fighting like a demon. 

Clawlike hands clutched at him in futile effort 
to seize him for the vase rose and fell with light- 


118 


TEE FLYING FOX 


ning speed and great precision. Half of the 
coolies were down now and Li, fearful that his 
prey escape him entered the room shouting com¬ 
mands, his face distorted with anger. 

When Bruce saw him enter he blazed with 
anger. Up to that moment he was just fighting. 
There was something impersonal in the fight. 
He was not exactly angry. He was only fighting 
and he enjoyed it, but with the coming of Li, the 
fight took on a new aspect. Li, he had reason to 
hate. He forgot the coolies. Sweeping them 
aside with two flailing blows of his hard arms he 
leaped at Li. 

When Li saw that rage-filled, killing face 
spring at him he went faint with abject fear and 
he turned to escape. With a scream of mortal 
anguish he flew down the corridor where he 
tripped in his haste upon the edge of a rug and 
fell sprawling to the floor. He rose instantly, 
but Bruce was upon him. 

“Remember Clarke,” Bruce hissed at the ter¬ 
rorized Chinaman as he swung. 


THE FLYING FOX 


119 


The blow took Li squarely on the mouth and 
his long yellow teeth caught it’s full impact. Li 
spat them out with a screech. He dodged and 
tried to gain the corridor through which Bruce 
had first entered the place. Bruce stopped him 
with his left. It landed with a vicious smack 
upon Li’s bulging nose. The blow knocked Li 
from his feet and, struggling to keep his balance 
he staggered backward till his knees hit some¬ 
thing behind him. He collapsed into a chair. 
Instantly he seized the arms of the chair to re¬ 
gain his footing. There was a click and all fell 
silent. He was trapped in the poison chair. The 
points were buried deeply in his arm. 

One by one the coolies slunk out of the room 
for they knew that this was the end of things for 
Li. They had no desire to argue further with 
the demon of a white man who fought with both 
hands and smiled while he fought. 

Bruce stopped and slowly dropped his hands. 
Li was gazing with eyes bulging from their sock¬ 
ets at the points buried in his arm. His bleeding, 


120 


THE FLYING FOX 


toothless mouth was open for his jaw had 
dropped in panic stricken terror. Bruce looked 
at him in pitying fixity. His anger was gone. 
By this ironical twist of fate Li was to die by 
the very instrument he had used in times past, 
on his helpless victims. 

When the place fell silent Ah Foon came 
slowly into the room. Quai Fa remained behind 
in the corridor. As Ah Poon came to the chair 
he saw what it was that held Li spellbound and 
his face drew with pain. Sickened by the sight 
he staggered from the room and sank down upon 
his couch where Quai Fa went to him to comfort 
him. She had read from Bruce’s face that Li 
was in dire distress. 

The poison was beginning now to course 
through his veins and Li, as he felt it’s fiery 
tongue, twisted in agony. Great drops of sweat 
stood out upon his brow and he quivered like an 
aspen in a chill wind. His breath came in great 
gasps and he moaned a little. Suddenly the 
lethal virus reached his heart. Li became rigid 


THE FLYING FOX 


121 


for a moment then slowly collapsed, his head 
falling to his breast. 

Bruce turned from the sight to shut it from 
his eyes. It was not pleasant to see a man thus 
die, no matter how richly he deserved the fate. 

As he entered the corridor to go to Quai Fa 
and her father, Bruce felt the ground tremble 
beneath him; there was a low rumble as of a 
great boiler blowing off its head of steam. He 
looked at Ah Foon questioningly and with the 
look the ground rose and fell beneath his feet 
like the gentle swell of the ocean. Bruce realized 
instantly what it was. It was an earthquake. The 
granite walls around him cracked and groaned 
with the crushing stress of the weight of the sea 
above them for the cavern lay far below the blue 
waters of the harbor. With the realization that 
they would be trapped like rats should the quake 
close the entrance to the cave he shouted to Ah 
Foon to escape, ran to Quai Fa whom he lifted 
in his arms and carried out into the recep¬ 
tion chamber. As he entered the room he re- 


122 


THE FLYING FOX 


membered Ula and wondered if he were still 
alive. The ground was rocking with increased 
violence, a great slab of rock fell from the roof, 
thundering on the floor as it broke into a thou¬ 
sand fragments. There was no time to lose. 

“I’ve got to get her out of this” he breathed 
to himself. 

“But if Ula is penned up down here I can’t 
leave the poor devil to drown like a rat if the 
top comes in. Ula!” he shouted. 

“Sahya Tuan,” came the answer down the 
corridor on Bruce’s left. 

“Coming” yelled Bruce and giving Quai Fa 
into the care of her father for the moment, 
Bruce dashed down the corridor to the torture 
chamber. He found Ula still hanging from the 
ring in the wall. The rattan withes with which 
he was bound had cut cruelly into Ula’s wrists 
and his hands were black from the arrested cir¬ 
culation. 

Bruce tried to untie the knots but the ground 
was rocking so beneath his feet that he was 


THE FLYING FOX 


123 


scarcely able to hold his footing and he saw that 
it would take too long to loosen the knots. 
Quickly he looked around the room to find some¬ 
thing with which to cut the tough rattan. Lying 
in the corner near him he found an axe with 
which he severed the rattan with one blow. To¬ 
gether they left the room running for their lives 
to escape from the cavern. As he entered the 
great central room the rocky roof of which was 
seamed and cracked with the twisting of the 
earthquake a flood of water broke from above. 
The sea had penetrated the cavern. As the flood 
broke Bruce saw Ah Poon who carried Quai Pa 
in his arms, leave by the corridor by which he, 
had first entered the cavern. He leaped through 
the torrent of falling water followed by Ula. As 
he gained its entrance there came a great ex¬ 
plosion followed by a loud rumbling roar from 
behind him. The whole roof had given way and 
the place was filled on the instant with the waters 
of the bay. The flood caught both him and Ula, 
hurled them from their feet and carried them 


124 


THE FLYING FOX 


with a mad rush down the corridor upon its 
breast. 

Ah Foon and Quai Fa were struggling up the 
steep ascent to the entrance of the place when 
the waters overtook them, but the first mad rush 
had subsided and Ah Foon was able to keep 
abreast of the rising waters. Before he gained 
the entrance Bruce and Ula joined him and 
Bruce took from Ah Foon’s tired old arms^ the 
trembling Quai Fa. As they stepped into the 
outer air a terrible sight came to their eyes. 
The heavens above were alight with a fiery glow 
and falling thickly about them was a rain of red 
hot sand. The mountain back of them, a long 
dormant volcano had burst forth in wrath and 
was laying waste the island. 

From the slight eminence upon which they 
stood on the side of the mountain, their view of 
the bay was unobstructed and as Bruce looked, 
he saw a sight which filled him with heart chill¬ 
ing consternation. His schooner which he had 
left, he thought, securely anchored a little way 


THE FLYING FOX 


125 


off-shore was going round and round in a mad 
whirl. It was drawing nearer to the center of 
a great black swirl of water which disappeared 
in a great liquid funnel in the center of the bay. 
As he gazed the schooner reached the center of 
the whirl, her stern lifted in mid-air, hung 
drunkenly poised for an instant and then darted 
into the opening and disappeared. The seething 
vortex continued for a moment and then slowly 
subsided. The schooner had closed the gaping 
hole in the roof of the cavern. 

Meanwhile the sky was becoming overcast 
with a thick black cloud of ash and great stones 
fell here and there about them. The air was 
choked with the fumes of burning sulphur and 
their lungs were seared with the volcano’s acrid 
breath. A burst of yellow gases engulfed them 
from behind and they were driven from the 
mouth of the cavern, for breathing there was im¬ 
possible. 

Behind them in the cavern was a hissing, roar¬ 
ing hell of fire and water, outside a hail of red 


126 


THE FLYING FOX 


hot sand and rock. They were between the ham¬ 
mer and the anvil and Bruce almost gave up 
hope. He looked at Ah Foon with an all-is-lost 
expression on his face, then he looked at Quai 
Fa. The sight of her strengthened him and he 
stiffened with determination. 

“I am not licked until I’m dead,” he gritted 
through his teeth. 

Wrapping her head in his turban to protect 
her from the burning sand and telling the others 
to follow he lifted her upon his shoulder and ran 
madly down the side of the mountain to the shel¬ 
ter of the thick growing cocoanuts. Shock fol¬ 
lowed shock as the waters of the bay found their 
way to the burning center of the mountain caus¬ 
ing great explosions. With the coming of each 
of these the ground swayed drunkenly beneath 
their feet and Bruce fell to his knees unable to 
keep his footing with the burden that he carried. 

They passed through the shelter of the cocoa- 
nuts and gained the beach where Bruce let Quai 
Fa down, for his strength was nearly gone. High 


TEE FLYING FOX 


127 


upon the beach, tossed there by the tidal wave 
that had swept the shores of the island with the 
first shock of the earthquake was a small native 
felluca, an outrigger canoe, that carried a lateen 
sail. The shocks were coming in quicker succes¬ 
sion now and a great column of flame arose from 
the crater of the volcano back of them. Bruce 
realized that they must leave the island for it 
would soon be buried in the rain of molten sand. 
Their clothing was scorched by it and where ever 
it struck the bare skin and remained for an in¬ 
stant it left an ugly burn. 

Ula who was almost nude was moaning with 
the pain of it. Quickly Bruce decided they 
would chance all in the little native craft: They 
would put to sea. Placing Quai Pa in the center 
of the boat, Bruce with the aid of the others 
pushed it down the sloping beach and into the 
rolling surf where he and Ah Poon clambered in 
and hoisted the sail. Ula, waist deep in the water 
pushed it further out from the shore. The wind 
caught the triangular sail and soon the island 


128 


THE FLYING FOX 


dropped behind, obscured in a dense grey wall 
of smoke. 

As night closed down they found themselves 
far from sight of land, but Ula needed neither 
compass nor charts to navigate the island wa¬ 
ters. He laid a direct course for Ambon, se¬ 
cure in the knowledge that if the wind held 
steady, sooner or later they would be safe within 
its harbor. Quai Pa fell asleep, her head pil¬ 
lowed on Bruce’s shoulder, shielded from the 
wind-driven spray by the embroidered coat of 
Ah Foon who sat in the narrow stern wondering 
what the outcome of the thing would be. 

At midnight Bruce, who had snatched a little 
sleep rose carefully, lest he awaken Quai Fa, and 
took Ula’s place at the helm. As morning 
dawned the breeze dropped and the sun lifted 
like a glowing ball of copper from a sea that rose 
and fell lazily as though covered with a film of 
oil. They entered a flat calm. 

When Quai Fa awakened she asked for water 
and Bruce, a great lump in his throat choked 



They entered a flat calm 


















i 










TEE FLYING FOX 


129 


out: 

“Little girl there isn’t any,” and he turned 
his face away, as he pictured what must happen 
if the calm endured. 

Ambon was four days sail away. They would 
pass several rocky islands before reaching there, 
but on them was no water. Ula had told him the 
night before. Quai Fa smiled when he told her 
of the lack of water for she did not realize what 
it meant. 

As the sun rose higher in the heavens, beating 
from a cloudless sky upon their unsheltered 
heads, its heat became terriffic and the mouths 
of all became dry, parched with torturing thirst. 
Food they could do without, but water they must 
have. As the day wore on Bruce watched Quai 
Fa with growing dread. Her soft lips were 
cracking in the dry heat and were bleeding 
slightly. Ah Foon sat holding his coat above her 
to shield her from the direct rays, but the glare 
from the water was insufferable. Now and then 
a little moan escaped her and their hearts were 


130 


THE FLYING FOX 


torn with sympathy, Bruce bursting at his im¬ 
potence. The coming of cool night they wel¬ 
comed doubly, for there came with it a gentle 
breeze. The loose hanging sail flapped indol¬ 
ently to and fro for a moment then slowly filled 
and the tiny craft slid gracefully through the 
water leaving in her wake, a million sparkling 
phosphorescent lights which pursued her in an 
efflorescent dance. 

Quai Fa beheld them in glad wonderment. 
Bruce whose turn it was at the helm made her 
comfortable beside him, where she could watch 
the playful gleaming things that as night closed 
dark around them, flamed in the silent water. It 
took her mind from her suffering and she forgot 
her thirst, for the time absorbed in watching the 
myriad fishes who pursued the boat with sinuous 
gambols, each outlined in streamers of blue fire. 

Ula who crouched in the waist of the boat was 
becoming delirious, for his burns had brought a 
fever, they having taken water from his sys¬ 
tem when he could ill afford its loss. Ah Foon, 


THE FLYING FOX 


131 


with true Chinese stocism sat silent in the bow, 
uttering no sound, giving no sign of distress, 
while in his heart there was a growing admir¬ 
ation for Bruce Denton. He fell asleep, not to 
awaken until the dawning of a new day. When 
he awakened he sat up suddenly and looked 
around. It was broad daylight. He had in¬ 
tended relieving Bruce at the tiller at midnight 
and now he realized that Bruce, who sat gazing 
ahead with leaden eyes and drooping shoulders, 
had not slept all night. With a self condemn¬ 
atory exclamation he rose and went to Bruce, 
took the helm, telling Bruce to go forward and 
get some sleep. 

As the day wore on Ah Foon’s eyes succumbed 
to the glare and he, to rest them, kept them stead¬ 
ily upon the dark brown bottom of the boat 
merely glancing around now and then to sight 
the islands in the distance to maintain the course. 
Ula had explained the course in detail before he 
was overcome with the fever of his burns. It 
was Quai Pa who brought them all suddenly 


132 


TEE FLYING FOX 


erect with the glad cry, 4 ‘There is a ship,” and 
pointed to a long black smndge upon the horizon 
at the nearer end of which, they made ont a 
small white steamer. 

It was almost dead ahead and its course 
seemed to be diagonally across their own. 
Quickly Ah Foon swung the tiller so that they 
would intercept it. In the next half hour they 
watched the steamer grow in size, with Bruce in 
fevered anxiety, for he feared that it would pass 
them before they crossed its course. 

There was something strangely familiar about 
the steamer to Quai Fa. She kept her eyes riv¬ 
eted upon it until she was sure of herself and 
then through swollen lips that could scarcely 
articulate the words. 

4 4 Bruce! Father! it is the Sui On! ’’ Ah Foon 
opened wide his eyes at this and though the ef¬ 
fort to see cost him great pain for they seemed 
filled with sand, he knew her to be right. Bruce 
leaped to his feet and pealing off his torn shirt 
waved it frantically above his head. The Sui 


THE FLYING FOX 


133 


On was very near now and there seemed to be 
no one on the decks. For minutes it seemed that 
no one saw them and Bruce shouted himself 
hoarse in mad fear that they would not be seen. 
When they had almost given up hope there 
sounded three quick blasts of the steamers’ 
whistle. It slowed down and veered toward 
them. Bruce collapsed to his seat in ecstasy of 
relief. Nothing mattered now for he knew that 
they were safe. 

It was Ah Foon now, that took command. 
With a few sharp orders to his men who lined 
the rail in dumb surprise at seeing their master 
in such straits, he ordered them to carry Quai 
Fa and Ula to the deck of the Sui On. The gang¬ 
way fell into the water with a splash and a dozen 
hands gripped the gunwale of the felucca 
while the captain stood ready on the grating to 
take Quai Fa aboard. 

Quai Fa held back, insisting that Ula go first 
and Ah Foon impatiently assented then followed 
Bruce who quietly gathered Quai Fa in his arms 


134 


THE FLYING FOX 


and went aboard leaving the felucca to its fate. 
Ah Foon turned to the captain and said the one 
word, “ Ambon.’’ 

It was a sunburned trio that lounged in the 
shade of the after awning the following day. 

Quai Fa, snuggled in his arms, was telling 
Bruce of the things that lovers plan to do, while 
Ah Foon gazed upon them with amused toler¬ 
ance. His mind ran back to the time when he 
had told the same sweet things to Voice of Many 
Blossoms, his idolized wife. Ah Foon was con¬ 
tent. He had found a man who was worthy of 
Quai Fa and of the fortune he would leave her. 

As the thirst dried lips of Quai Fa assumed 
their wonted softness they bloomed sweetly like 
a rose that timorously unfolds its petals and the 
angry flush of her sunburned cheeks was lost in 
the return of satin. 

They were gazing at the sunset, leaning arm 
in arm over the rail, whispering those things 
that were too dear to say aloud. Bruce watched 
her lips. As she spoke his name he smiled for 



*>"o 


'‘Whispering those things that 
were too dear to say aloud." 






























136 


THE FLYING FOX 


she was not thinking of the end of day. Her 
little heart trembled with the thrill of that im¬ 
pulsive kiss. Turning to him slowly she pursed 
her lips and looked squarely into his eyes, her 
own dancing. 

1i Bruce/’ she said. 

“You dear little witch,” he exclaimed and 
gathered her in his arms where he showered her 
with kisses. 

Ah Foon who had been strolling on the deck, 
turned the corner of the deck house just in time 
to catch the word “Bruce.” He paused in his 
walk and then drew back in amazement. 

“By the honor of my revered ancestors, the 
man makes loves like he fights,” said Ah Foon 
as he beat a hasty retreat to the other side of the 
deckhouse with upraised hands. 

On the morning of the second day they 
dropped the anchor under the walls of old Fort 
Nassau in the harbor at Ambon. The day was 
Sunday and the town seemed fast asleep. Here 
and there a few black gowned Dutch and half- 


TEE FLYING FOX 


137 


caste ladies escorted their infant charges to the 
Sabbath school. 

After they had landed Ah Poon led the way 
to the toko where he insisted on Bruce stopping 
for he would not hear of his going to the hotel. 
There remained some things to be done in Am¬ 
bon. Clarke must have a settlement and Bruce 
after changing clothes told Ah Poon that he was 
going to the Club to locate Clarke. To this Ah 
Foon answered: 

“I shall go with you; it is I who shall settle 
with Clarke.” 

The idea pleased Bruce and he waited at the 
entrance of the toko for Ah Foon to get his sun 
hat. As Bruce stood in the shade at the entrance 
of the toko the bells on the Protestant Mission 
pealed forth their call to worship and as he lis¬ 
tened to their harmony there came to him a 
thought. He and Qua! Fa had planned their 
marriage to take place in Canton, but Bruce re¬ 
membered the motto of his father, ‘‘Do it now.” 

“By Golly I will,” he murmured. 


138 


THE FLYING FOX 


Scarcely had the word passed from his lips 
when Ah Foon stepped from the toko door, 
ready to go to the Club. As Ah Foon neared him 
Bruce turned and pointing to the distant spire 
of the Mission said: 

“ Ah Foon do you hear those bells ? Well they 
mean that there is a minister there can tie a knot. 
There is no time like the present. My Dad says 
‘Do it now.’ So that’s just what we are going to 
do. Clarke can wait. We’ll go direct to the Mis¬ 
sion and get married.” 

Ah Foon was dumbfounded. He shook his 
head with dismay. This impulsive American 
and his sudden way of doing things left him 
aghast. To a Chinese the idea of a marriage 
without great feasting and long preparation 
would never do. He had planned the marriage 
to be the most brilliant that Canton had seen in 
many years and he almost broke into tears so 
earnest was he in his entreaties to Bruce to let 
him arrange the ceremony. 

Quai Fa who stood within the toko heard 


THE FLYING FOX 


139 


them talking and came to the doorway. She lis¬ 
tened gravely for a moment, then learning of 
what it was they talked, dropped her head and 
turned to go inside, but Bruce ran to her to en¬ 
list her on his side. He gently asked her if she 
were not ready for the ceremony and after a long 
look at first Ah Foon and then at him said: 

“Yes.” 

Ah Foon looked on in helpless sorrow for he 
had planned things differently. As Quai Fa ut¬ 
tered the word she looked at her father and mis¬ 
read what was in his mind. Her little heart was 
torn between two wild emotions, one her love of 
Bruce, the other, leaving Ah Foon. 

Bruce bent over her and their lips met, then 
she turned to gaze fondly at her father. In the 
eyes of Ah Foon there was a great sadness. The 
sight of the pain that she saw in those kindly 
eyes hurt her for she loved Ah Foon second only 
to Bruce. Clasping Bruce’s hand tightly in hers 
she drew away from him and stepped to Ah 
Foon. Her eyes filled as she looked up into his 


140 


THE FLYING FOX 


face. A long moment passed in silence, each 
gripped in the intensity of their emotions. 

Ah Foon’s eyes became moist and he turned 
his head slightly to hide his feelings. It was 
more than Quai Fa could stand. Still holding 
Bruce’s hand tightly in her own she dropped on 
Ah Foon’s breast, sobbing as though her heart 
would break. 

Her grief at hurting him stiffened Ah Foon 
and he forced himself to smile. He looked at 
Bruce who stood beside Quai Fa and nodded his 
head slightly. As he did so there came another 
peal from the mission bells. Ah Foon turned his 
head and looked in the direction from which the 
sound had come. Standing boldly out against 
the blazing tropic sky he saw a cross of gold 
which capped a tall thin spire. 

“John Dowling would have it thus,” he mur¬ 
mured, “It shall be done this day.” 

Quai Fa and Bruce raised their heads to look 
as he spoke the words and their eyes followed 


THE FLYING FOX 


141 


his. Turning from the golden cross that beck¬ 
oned them they looked at one another. 

Quai Fa’s tear streaked face lighted with 
plaintive sweetness and Bruce felt that he would 
burst with love of her. 

He gathered her into his arms fondly and Ah 
Foon regarded them in silence for the moment. 
The hurt was still in his heart, but he resigned 
himself to the loss of her. As he gazed at her 
there came the thought: 

“I have not lost her, I have gained a Son. 
They shall be with me always. ” His face lighted 
with the radiance of this new found joy as he 
gathered his children to his arms. 







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